The Other Girl
by ChocolateBeth
Summary: Before meeting Katherine Pierce, the Salvatore brothers had a childhood friend. They haven't seen her for 5 years, due to her attending finishing school. Now she has returned in time for Stefan's wedding. But 5 years is a long time... Damon/OC. A bit AH
1. Prologue

**Author Note: **I don't anything other than what I made up. Everything else is owned by L.J. Smith and The CW. I hope you like it!

_**Prologue**_

On a warm summer's day, the sound of childlike laughter echoed around a vast field and two small figures emerged from a dense forest as they sprinted towards a clear pond. "I bet I can beat you!" the girl squealed as she spurted forwards, just in front of the boy. He equalled her speed and yelled, "We'll see!" A minute or so later, they crashed to the ground, narrowly missing the pond. "I beat you Steffy! I beat you!" the girl gasped in between breaths.

"No you didn't – I let you win!" Stefan Salvatore grinned before scooping up pondwater with his hands and throwing it in the girl's face. She squealed again, and flicked water back at him. Watching him fill his hat from the pond, her sparkling green eyes widened, and she ran full pelt away from him. "I'm gonna get you!" he called, chasing after her, spilling water out of his hat. The girl turned her head to determine how far behind he was, and smacked into a tall figure. She whirled round to apologise, but before she could open her mouth, the figure smirked and said, "I think I beat the both of you."

"Oh it's you, Damon." She seemed relieved at his presence, "Save me, Steffy's gonna get me!"

"If I were you, I'd be more worried about what your mama's going to say when she sees the state of your pretty little dress, than what my little brother's going to do to you." She looked down at her mud-caked dress, and brushed a few leaves off with her grubby hands. "Oh well. Daddy will buy me a new one. Now SAVE ME!" Stefan was rapidly closing the gap between them, so Damon scooped the girl up and sprinted away. Stefan yelled, "That's not fair!" but hurried after the pair anyway. When they were a safe distance away, Damon set the girl down on the grass, and sat down next to her. "I hear it's your birthday in a few days, will you be as old as me yet?" He smiled when her brow furrowed in thought. "Well I'm going to be six... How old are you?"

"Ten in December," he said proudly.

"Wow..." She was obviously impressed, and this pleased Damon. "Will I ever be as big as you?" she wondered aloud.

"Not when you're soaking wet!" She turned around and Stefan tipped the water in his hat over her. She gasped and shook her wet hair violently at him. He snickered and she scowled at him. "Now, now, Alicia DiGrazio, that's very unladylike." Damon chided her, a smile playing on his lips. "_You _didn't save me and you said you would – that's breaking a promise which is ungentlemanlylike!" she accused him, but there was no anger behind it. Damon rolled his eyes. "That's not even a word, but I could use it on Father and see what he says..."

"Use what on your father, Damon Salvatore?" a formidable, but all too familiar, voice demanded.

"My painting ability, Maria" Damon said angelically. The stocky woman narrowed her eyes at him then turned to the girl suppressing laughter and said, "Alicia, your mother requested me to return you home for din-" Her eyes widened in horror. "What have you done to your dress? Which of you was responsible?" She directed the last question at the Salvatore brothers.

"Stefan." Damon said smoothly, without hesitation. Maria glared at the pair of them; grabbed Alicia by the arm, then turned on her heel and dragged her across the field. Stefan sighed and asked, "Why do you always blame me for everything?"

"Because you're my little brother. It's my duty."


	2. Chapter 1: 10 Years Later

**Author Note:** I hope you like this! (I apologise for the Mario and Luigi reference but they were Italian names - and i just couldn't resist!) Oh, and this story is a mix of the books and the TV show - the beginning is from the books, but bits of it might not be...

_**Chapter 1**_

"Alicia! The carriage is about to leave. Hurry up!"

"I'm coming, mother." I stood up, pulled myself together and glanced in my looking glass. Ever unperturbed, Alicia DiGrazio stared back at me from her bedchamber. Chocolate waves cascaded down her back, with a few wisps framing her oval face. Her deep green dress matched her forest eyes and the emerald pendant round her neck. She turned away, and I picked up my skirts to descended down the marble staircase. "Alicia, try to look more excited. Or at the very least, less miserable." Mother continued to criticise me all the way to the coach, but I tuned her out. The doubts that had been bugging me since the invitation finally became too much, so I had to voice them. "I haven't seen Stefan in years, are you sure it's fitting for me to turn up to his engagement celebration? What if Carlotta doesn't like me? Can Stefan and I still be friends even though he is engaged?" The worries tumbled out effortlessly, and I felt my porcelain forehead crinkle. "Don't frown like that – you'll only have permanent frown lines later." I sighed heavily and relaxed my face to shut her up. However, the knot in my stomach refused to relax. "If it were not fitting, Giuseppe Salvatore wouldn't have invited us, and whilst your 'friendship' with the young Mr Salvatore may not last, we will find you a husband and you will forget all about him." Mrs DiGrazio said, attempting to be reassuring.

"Mother, I'm sixteen, and-"

"Stefan is sixteen too. As is Carlotta."

"I know, but I don't want to marry yet-"

"Don't be ridiculous! We're only looking for suitors – you can't marry until your sister has."

"I know that too, mother, but-"

"This is just silly now, I know you were romantically interested in him, but you missed your chance." My jaw dropped. "Romantically interested in him!_ Romantically interested in him! _Mother, he was always a friend. _Just a friend!_ How could you suggest something like that!" Just as I finished my rant, I felt her hand strike me across the cheek, leaving a pink handprint as evidence. _Despite the fact Mother often becomes frustrated with me, she had never slapped me!_ I was in shock.

The coachman opened up the door, and my fuming mother stalked in. Arianna, her second youngest and, save for moi, her only unmarried daughter, followed her. Squishing myself next to Arianna's canary yellow puffy gown, I spent the rest of the carriage trip in silence, with my head down.

After what was only fifteen minutes, but felt like forever, the coach pulled to a halt outside the Salvatore mansion. It was already crowded with many townsfolk – but what had I expected? Mother always demands we arrive 'fashionably late' (but bugs me about my 'tardiness' non-stop.) Mr Coachman – I didn't know his name – unbolted the door of my silent prison and I stepped out to a few 'ooh's from the guests. A woman came up to me and asked, "Are you Alicia DiGrazio? My, how you've grown!"

"Uh, yes ma'am." I replied, involuntarily glancing at my mother for approval. She nodded her head once, her expression remaining stony. The busybody woman threw another question at me. "How many years has it been now? Six? Seven?"

"Um, only five ma'am."

"I see you have learnt some manners, young lady. I must speak to your mother and find out which school you attended." And with that, she strode off, to irritate my already aggravated mother. I silently wished her luck, and made my way to the doors, where the guard checked my invitation. He looked it over and handed it back to me, saying, "You look beautiful tonight, miss. Enjoy your evening, miss." I hoped he was told to say that, and not being a little too friendly.

Immediately on edge, I pulled my gown upwards a little, and tried to pull my chest in. I had no such luck. It seems, only your stomach can be pulled in, but my corset was already doing a good job of that. Too good a job. Feeling a little dizzy, I stumbled over to a pillar, and tried to breathe evenly. A couple of minutes passed, and I felt as if I could walk without collapsing. I took a deep breath for good luck, and entered the ballroom.

The dazzling light from the gilded chandeliers hit me the instant I walked in. Brightly coloured drapes and wall decorations hung from every available surface, and the ice sculptures glistened in the overwhelming light. Giuseppe really had gone to town.

My throat prickled a little, so I carefully picked my way across the room, trying not to step on anyone's dress. The drinks table was covered in shimmering champagne glasses; I selected one near the front so I wouldn't spill them all with my clumsy arm. I gingerly sipped at mine, not sure if I would like it, but my taste buds exploded at the sweetness of the sparkling wine. My brow furrowed once more, as I believed that champagne would be bitter rather than sweet. But what did I know. Or maybe Giuseppe had the servants put extra sugar in to show off his wealth. _At this rate, he'll have no money left for Stefan's wedding – let alone Damon's! Speaking of which, I haven't seen either of them... _

A boy who introduced himself as Mario Di...something... chattered to me as I looked around the room for either of the Salvatore brothers. "Alicia?" he asked, frowning at me. _Damn, I think he asked me something. What do I say? _"Erm... I'm terribly sorry Mario, but could you repeat that?" He raised his eyebrows. "I was lost in your... _dreamy_ eyes." It sounded more like a question, even to me. "I said would you like to dance? Miss DiGrazio." He added as an afterthought. _No I don't, thank you very much Mister Mario DiSomething. _But my stupid mouth garbled out, "I would be honoured." And my stupid knees bent into a curtsey. The boy smiled, a little forced, I thought, and kissed my hand. I trotted after him onto the dancefloor and he whirled me around a couple of times. He glanced over my shoulder, at another girl to dance with, I hoped, and whispered, "Your mother is watching us."

"Oh, great." I let slip. Me and my big mouth. He looked bewildered, poor thing. "Is that a problem Miss Alicia – if I may have the honour of calling you that?" Oh dear God! This boy was fawning over me, and Mother was watching, and then she would force us to 'court' as she put it, then get married, and then have children and... I stumbled backwards and Mario caught me and took me to sit down at a table. "M-miss Alicia, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just feeling a little faint; I'll be fine in a minute or so."

"Are you sure miss, you look quite ill... I'll go fetch your mother." He was too nice and caring.

"NO! I'm fine." Mario looked shocked at my outburst. Maybe that was a little unladylike – fat lot of good finishing school did for me. "I mean, that's not necessary. Perhaps you could get me another drink?" I amended hesitantly. "Of course, Miss Alicia." He seemed as nervous as I did. Poor boy. Unfortunately, I had a way of intimidating boys – probably from spending my childhood with a couple of them.

Mario disappeared into the crowds and I breathed a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing to help me relax.

"I see you met my brother." A slightly amused voice jerked me out of my reverie. I opened my eyes to find chocolate brown ones staring back at me. He stuck his hand out and then grabbed mine when I didn't reach out. Pulling me up, roughly, I might add, he smirked and growled, "I'm Luigi Russo." I stared at him for a minute. "Mario's brother. You were dancing with him, poor darling." He was beginning to creep me out. "I'd much rather be dancing with him, _Mister Russo_." I injected as much venom as I could into the last two words. _So I suppose Mario's surname was Russo, then... Not DiSomething... That's my concentration for you, though... _I narrowed my eyes, yanked my hand out of his vice-like grip, and stalked away.

I heard footsteps behind me and saw Mario following me with a champagne glass. _Damn!_ As much as I'd rather be with him than his slimy brother, I'd still rather be alone. I dodged in front of a white puff of net and prayed he hadn't seen me. I snuck a glance over my shoulder and saw him walk straight by me. I sauntered off and went to chat to Arianna.


	3. Chapter 2: Stefan and Carlotta

**Author Note: **I realised I made a few grammar errors in the previous chapters so I apologise, but I was so into writing it I was typing at speed and obviously made a few mistakes :P thank you sooooo much for reviewing – you really make me happy (yes, little comments make even school alright – don't judge me!) if you like it please review! Oh and I'm English so I spell words like 'colour' with a 'u', just thought I'd say that...

_**Chapter 2**_

The canary yellow dress wasn't hard to spot amidst the less attention seeking colours; so I made a beeline straight to her. She was talking to a woman with a heavily powdered face, and earrings so large you'd think her ears would drop off under the weight. Powder-Face's nasal voice was almost hysterical as she waved her arms around animatedly. Arianna was nodding along with sympathy. The frenzied woman paused for breath and I took my chance without hesitation.

"Arianna," I said, tapping her on the shoulder, "Can I speak to you for a few minutes?"

"I'm speaking with Sophia right now, but-"

"Please? It's important." There I was again, lying through my teeth. My big sister led me to the edge of the room and looked at me searchingly. "Are you alright, Alicia? Was it you who almost fainted in Mario Russo's arms?" My eyes bulged. "Who told you that? I did not!"

"Come on honey, sit down."

"No! For the hundredth time! Yes, I am alright. And no. I don't want to sit down!" I pronounced each syllable harshly, frustrated with all the caring people in the room. She looked taken aback. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it quite like that. It's just that so many people keep asking me that – it's driving me up the wall!" I tried to redeem myself with an apologetic smile, but when she said softly, "It doesn't matter, Lissie," I knew I was forgiven. _Only Arianna calls me Lissie!_ My small smile melted into a grin when I saw that my lovely elder sister wasn't cross at all. "So what's so desperate you need to steal me from my thrilling conversation with Sophia?"

"Erm... nothing. I just wanted someone to talk to. I haven't seen Stefan anywhere and- ooh there he is! See you in a bit! Have fun with Powder-Face!" She rolled her eyes as I ran off (well, ran is a bit of a exaggeration – I can barely walk in these _stupid_ shoes) to a stiff black tuxedo with an ice blue neck tie.

I crashed into him and heard an 'oof' as I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed the life out of Stefan Salvatore. "Can't. Breathe..." he choked out, eyes popping. I let him go reluctantly and shuffled backwards a little till we were a 'seemly' distance apart. "Hi." I said, smiling brightly.

"Hi..." he wheezed, his breath slowly returning to him. "Alicia... it's been ages..."

"Since what? You saw me, or could breathe?"

"Both, I think." He laughed but that got caught up in a gasp of air, and he spluttered. "Give me a minute to recover." I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot in mock impatience.

"I'm okay now, I think."

"Good. It has been too long and I'm incredibly bored. This is without doubt the most tedious party I've attended in a long while – perhaps ever! But then again, it's the first real party I've been to in a long while, so... who am I to judge?"

"Just don't let Father hear you say that – he spent God knows how much on it. But I'm pleased you're enjoying yourself," he grinned wryly.

"So... where's the lucky bride-to-be? I've been dying to see her dress. Mine's much nicer though, I bet. Isn't it?" I bragged jokily.

"If I'm honest-"  
>"A good gentlemen must always be honest" I interrupted, reciting the rubbish I endured five years of. Stefan rolled his eyes.<br>"I was going to say I think your dress _is_ much nicer, but I might have to change my mind now" he threatened, but with a smile. I feigned horror for a couple of seconds, but we both burst out laughing before I had time to pretend to faint.

"Tell me about Carlotta, I don't remember her - but five years is a long time, I suppose" I genuinely wanted to hear about the love of Stefan's life.  
>"Well, she's... a brunette... and... she has... brown...ish eyes..." He looked at me hopelessly. "I barely know anything about her but Father wants me to marry her so..." The corner of his mouth crinkled into a lopsided smile. He didn't love her. That was crystal clear. My brow furrowed as I tried to think of something comforting to say, but I came up with nothing. "Hey, it'll be alright in the end – things always turn out right, trust me," I murmured into his ear as I hugged him once more.<p>

"Mmm... I suppose... Damon would stand up for himself and that's what I need to do. But I'm not Damon so..." he trailed off. _Oh God, I need to help him but...I don't know what I can do. Think, girl think! _"You could always run away, you know. Like in fairytales where the princess and the prince run off and live happily ever after... Well, except you wouldn't have a princess – but I'd come with you! And you're not a prince, but..." I bit my lip as he gave a weak laugh, shaking his head. It killed me to see him this upset. "Stefan, look at me." He raised his head slowly. "It _will _be fine. I promise you. And hey, you might end up falling in love with her!"

"Maybe..."

"Oh cheer up; it's a party – time to be happy! Come and dance for a bit." I tugged him onto the dancefloor and put my hands on his shoulders. Nervously, he glanced around, and then placed his hands on my waist. "You found my waist – well done!" I rolled my eyes at his hesitation.

"You don't have to be _so _sarcastic, Allie." _He called me Allie – he must be feeling brighter; that was my childhood nickname! _

"Oh, I do, believe me."

"You sound so much like Damon these days."  
>"That a good thing?" He paused for a second. "Yeah. He's a good brother... and he's entertaining." He was smiling now. This was more like the carefree boy I'd made friends with when we were five.<p>

"Stefan!" A high pitched squealy voice ruined the light-hearted atmosphere I'd created. I turned around to see who had spoken. A plump olive face stared back at me. Sausage-like ringlets hung from her head and kept falling in her tiny 'brownish' eyes. She wore a net pastel pink dress that fitted tightly around her chest but stuck outwards directly underneath. _Please don't be Carlott-_

"Carlotta. Are you enjoying yourself tonight? I must say, you look stunning." Stefan sounded wooden and emotionless – which I think he was. The soon-to-be Mrs Salvatore either didn't notice the fact his speech seemed overly rehearsed, or she chose to ignore it. "Why are you dancing with that girl? And who is she?" she demanded childishly.

"Uhh... Carlotta, this is Alicia DiGrazio, we were friends about ten years ago, and I haven't seen her in five, so we were just catching up. Allie, this is my fiancée, Carlotta Marino." A fake smile stretched across my face while I held out my hand politely. Ignoring it, she looked me up and down with an expression of disgust etched on her round face. _God, she was such a bi- mean girl. What would Mother say if she heard me say 'such profanities'? _

"It was _lovely _to meet you, Carlotta. But I'm afraid I need to socialise elsewhere," I made my voice sugar-sweet and sickly, and I was delighted to see the furious glare she gave me.

For the second time that evening, I sauntered off, despite the desperate look on Stefan's face. Feeling guilty, I turned around to face him and mouthed _I'm sorry_;and he sighed and mouthed back _it's alright – I understand_. I smiled, then strode off to find the elusive Damon Salvatore.


	4. Chapter 3: Dancing with Damon

**Author Note: **I know this is a short chapter, but I thought it was a good place to finish so... I hope you all like it! please review and ask me any questions if you have them (except what happens next coz I am NOT telling! :P) I love EVERYONE who is reading this (especially the people reviewing) xoxox

_**Chapter 3**_

After I had reached a safe enough distance away from Stefan's _charming_ bride, I stopped and scanned the room for Damon's mop of black hair. _Damn! Why does everybody here have to have dark hair? _Realising I wasn't going to get very far based on the back of peoples' heads, I plodded off in my clunky heels.

As I passed different people, I judged them from a distance as an alternative of having to converse with them to look at their faces._ Too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, too- oh sweet baby Jesus! Why's that man wearing a dr- it's a woman. _It's a woman._ Stop staring. Keep walking. Don't look. Head down. Keep going. Keep-_

"What's a pretty girl like you doing with her head down?" My head snapped up and I looked into the midnight black eyes of Damon Salvatore.

"Damon!" I cried, and hugged him (yes, I'm a hugger). Instead of spluttering for air and prizing me off his chest they way Stefan had done, the elder Salvatore brother put his arms around me in an equally strong embrace and squeezed me till there was no oxygen left in my lungs. Gasping, I pulled away and tried to breathe again. "I'm stronger than my weedy brother aren't I?" Damon smirked, a wicked look in his coal eyes. "Yeah," I coughed, "you saw that?"

"It was very entertaining." He raised his eyebrows in a little wiggle that made me forget to breathe for a moment.

"Remind me again why Stefan's the one getting married and not you."

"You wonder why I'm not married?" He seemed slightly taken aback.

"Well yeah. I mean, every girl in this room would dance with you, no hesitation."

"Including you?" His eyes seemed to smoulder. _Breathe!_

"Umm... yeah. And anyway, when you wiggle your eyebrows and do that eye thing, how can you expect girls not to fall at your feet?"

"Wiggle my eyebrows?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me, smirking all the while. "Eye thing?"

"You know... that... thing... the thing you just did a minute ago." I could feel my cheeks heat up and I dropped my head in the hopes he wouldn't see.

"Why don't you show me?" He took a step closer, and my breathing faltered _again_. I honestly don't know what was wrong with me. _So much for intimidating boys, then._ "Erm... I can't do it" I peeked up at him through my lashes and I swear I saw him stop breathing for a second. I blinked, and when I lifted my head up, he was as relaxed as always. Maybe I imagined it...

"Why don't you come and dance with me whilst you practice the 'eye thing'?" Damon said as he offered me his arm. Was he _flirting_ with me? He couldn't be. But I had no objections to dancing with him so I hooked my arm through his and let him lead me to the centre of the ballroom. Smiling his crooked smile, he took my hand and began to waltz me to the crooning violins. He spun me and whirled me in every direction, and I was so grateful I had picked up some dancing skills at finishing school.

As the pace of the music increased, so did his dancing, and I found myself almost out of breath trying to keep up with him. Either he was a pro at making his dancing look effortless, or he had unlimited energy, but whichever, I knew I would collapse in a minute. Thankfully, the violinist took pity on me and the tempo slowed right back down to a gentle waltz.

I spent several minutes lost in the moment, but soon enough, I realised that almost every pair of eyes in the entire room were upon us. "Damon," I hissed, "can we move somewhere a little less conspicuous – _every_body is staring at us!"

"And you think we'd have more privacy in a corner?" he murmured, a hint of sarcasm coating his smooth voice.

"Yes. I do."

"Well let me tell you Alicia, everybody would gaze at you wherever you were." My heart stopped.

"What?"

"Look at you."

"Huh?" I looked at myself, wondering if I'd spilt something down my dress.

"You look absolutely stunning." The sarcasm was replaced with a silkier, more seductive tone.

"I... um... thanks." If I thought I was blushing before, it was nothing to how my cheeks were flaming now.

He drew me in a little closer and I could feel his breath on my face. "If you want a little more privacy, I'm sure I could arrange something." He was _definitely_ flirting with me now.

"I... okay." I replied, as it dawned on me that I actually wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

The smile still etched on his face, Damon offered me his arm once more and led me towards the ornate doors.


	5. Chapter 4: The Clearing

**Author Note: I'm sorry that I've taken a while to update, but I had...dare I say it... *whispers* writer's block *shudders*. I said it. And I had an exam that took me FOREVER to revise for :(**

**Thanks Animaddie for reviewing each chapter religiously and thanks GeeGee47 for putting up with my TVD/Damon obsession day in day out. And thanks to everyone who reads, reviews and faves etc (I just thanked those 2 personally cos I know them personally :P)**

**I love you guys so much so please show me the love and REVIEW! xx**

**Disclaimer: sadly I don't own Damon or anything else you recognise **

_**Chapter 4**_

The grand Salvatore gardens were deserted, despite being elaborately decorated. Glass lanterns emitting a golden glow hung from large trees around the grounds, and the stillness of the air made it even more beautiful than it had been when we had arrived.

Damon kept striding forward – he'd obviously seen this splendour many times in the last few years. I trotted a little to keep up with him, all the while wondering where we were going. At the edge of the pathway, he took a sharp left, heading towards a stable-like building.

Once we had disappeared behind the red brick stable, Damon's hand reached down into mine, and his pace slowed to a gentle stroll. He led me into a pasture surrounded by cypress trees, where a light breeze whistled through their leaves, blowing a couple into my perfectly fashioned hair. I carelessly raked my fingers through my tresses to brush the leaves out. Damon's midnight eyes flickered to me as a leaf fell on his shoulder. "Sorry," I mumbled, flicking it off absentmindedly.

"No problem, Miss Alicia," came the almost whispered reply. Feeling my cheeks heat up, I quickly started repositioning my hair, but his hand caught mine and firmly pulled it away from my head. "What are you doing that for?" he asked, a crease forming on his brow.

"Just making it look nicer..." I trailed off faintly. I looked to him for a reaction, but his only response was, "Stay there, stand perfectly still." My breath caught in my throat and I didn't breathe while he swiftly moved behind me. I could feel his fingers softly probing my scalp for hair pins, and he gently removed the remaining few that held my mane in place. He returned to my line of sight and tugged a few strands in front of my shoulders, a look of concentration on his beautiful face as he arranged my hair to his satisfaction. "There," he said proudly, taking a look at his handiwork. I rolled my eyes in mock exasperation and held out my arm to him saying, "Shall we?"

"We shall," he confirmed, flashing the brightest smile I'd seen in my life, and a row of impeccably straight teeth. But instead of linking his arm through mine, he grabbed my hand and sprinted, dragging me with him. However, my stupid heels couldn't cope with running across a spongy field, so I tottered over and landed on my front. Grumbling to myself, I yanked the shoes off my aching feet and hauled myself up to begin chasing after Damon, ever the cheetah-like runner.

I could hear him laughing in the distance. His chuckle was like music to my ears and I couldn't hate him for laughing at my misfortune.

My heavy skirts rustled as I dashed across the field, and I was so intent on catching up with him that I hadn't seen him stop and wait for me, so I collided with him and we fell to the floor. I landed on top of him and instantly attempted to remove myself from this blush-worthy situation. But my weighty bodice and kirtle prevented me from moving away. "Well this isn't awkward in the slightest, my lady," he laughed devilishly.

"Mmm..." I was concentrating too hard on getting up to think of a reply. Chortling quietly to himself, he raised his right hand and tenderly traced his fingers down my cheek. The explosions I felt inside my head caught me off guard and I fell off his stomach, heart racing. "Allie?" he asked concernedly.

"Mmm?"

"You okay?"

"Mm hmm," I was unable to speak coherently – let alone think coherently!

"Sure?" he double checked. I nodded vaguely.

"Then you won't mind me doing this, will you?" he pushed himself off the ground and leaned over me, his silky charcoal hair falling in my face. I looked up into the black eyes staring intently at me, and my heart began to beat erratically. He stroked my cheek once more, his eyes never leaving mine, and then he twisted his finger around the lock of hair that lay next to my face. _Oh God! _He was so close, I could taste his sweet breath on my face, and I could think of nothing else other than the beautiful man in front of me.

But a moment later, he was lying by my side again, and when I glanced over at him, I saw a smile playing on his lips. We lay in silence for a while, and all I could think of was the moment we shared, and the proximity of our bodies. I felt the heat radiating off him, and wondered if I emitted the same kind of invisible glow.

"We must be breaking every social rule there is, don't you think?" he questioned flirtatiously.

"I think so. And I had to study them for five _whole_ years!"

"But I never had much regard for rules..." he smiled.

"I remember... Stefan was always the good boy." Memories of a carefree childhood flooded back to me, and a fairly big part of me wished I could relive them.

"Still is. Who's the one marrying a girl he barely knows just because Father wants him to? Stefan, not me."

"I feel so sorry for him, but I don't know how we can make it any better..." I trailed off, deep in thought.

"We?" He sounded quite amused.

"Come on Damon, I know you care about your baby brother."

"Yeah, I do, I s'pose," he grumbled in mock annoyance.

"Well, there you go," I said, a little triumphantly. He rolled his eyes, and waggled his eyebrows. _I think that's become our 'thing'._

"We seem to do that a lot, don't we?" Damon chuckled.

"I was just thinking that!" I said, maybe too excitedly.

"I was going to say 'great minds think alike' but on second thoughts..." he said impishly.

"Hey!" I hit him on the arm playfully. He smirked at me then sat up. Grass covered the back of his black suit and I leant forward to brush it off. "Are you up for another walk?" he enquired.

"Yeah. Where?"

"We'll see," he teased. After standing up, he offered me his hand, and I took it, beaming up at him.

Minutes later, we reached a woody clearing, the greenest I'd seen in my life. Dewy droplets hung from every leaf, and I could almost taste the moisture in the air. The grass was damp under my bare feet, and when I curled my toes, I could feel the soil moving.

It was extremely dark, not just because it was night time, but because the trees were planted thickly, blocking out the light from the twinkly stars.

I blinked several times to try and see through the darkness, and once my eyelids were incredibly tired, I could make out Damon's grinning face. "What?" I grumbled, scowling in embarrassment.

"You looked. So. Funny. Blinking. So. Much!" he could barely get his words out through the laughter.

"It wasn't _that_ funny. You don't have to laugh so much!" I protested weakly, attempting to play the damsel in distress card.

"Yeah, I do," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. I pouted. "Aww, princess, don't be sad. I wasn't really laughing at you." I looked up, eyes wide.

"Well I was." I glared at him again.

"But do you really believe I'm that mean?" His voice softened and his eyes smouldered, and I melted.

"I know I'm the most lusted after man in Florence, but do you honestly have to stand and stare at me for this long?" he teased.

"Oh yeah? Well according to 'La Quotidiano Posta' I'm the most talked about girl in... in... around here. So there." I countered with mock haughtiness.

Shaking his head slightly, he tugged me to a secluded corner of the clearing and sat down, leaning against a mossy tree. I followed suit, except instead of leaning on a tree, I snuggled up next to him and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer.

"It's so beautiful here," I murmured, entwining my hand with his.

"Mmm," he replied, tilting his head to lie on top of mine.

I closed my eyes and took in the perfect moment. All I could hear was Damon's deep breathing, and I felt so warm and comfortable in his arms. _I could stay here forever, _I thought, and realised it was true. I _did_ want to stay here for eternity.

"I didn't know your father owned so much land. _Beautiful_ land," I said quietly.

"He doesn't. Well he does, but not this place," Damon replied, equally softly.

"How did you find it then?"

"How else do you think I survived all these years if I didn't have a little getaway?" he smiled.

"Oh. Does Stefan or anyone else know about this place?"

"No. Why? Wanting any competition?" he teased, and I could feel him laugh slightly.

"I was just wondering," I muttered, and I'm sure my cheeks were very pink. But it was dark, so hopefully he couldn't tell.

"Well it's been only you," Damon returned, "Only you..." He whispered the last 'only you' barely audibly, as more of a thought.

"Damon?"

"Mmm?"

"What you reckon the time is?"

"Around twelve, princess." He stroked my cheek with his free hand which made me melt into him even more. I squeezed my eyes shut to refocus my thoughts and when I realised my mother would most probably be looking for me, my heart sank, and I sat up sharply.

"Princess?" Damon asked, sounding concerned.

"I've got to... I should probably... my mother... I..." I didn't know what to say as I scrambled up, brushing the water droplets off my emerald dress. Damon hastily stood up and looked me directly in the eyes. His gaze was intense and enthralling; I couldn't look away if I tried.

"I understand, Allie. Just give me one more minute of your time," he said evenly.

"O...kay..." I was just entranced by his piercing stare.

He took an almost hesitant step towards me and lightly brushed his lips against mine.

My head burst with explosions and I felt so light-headed I stumbled backwards. Luckily, my knight in a jet black tuxedo caught me just before I hit the ground. He scooped me up and carried me back to the Salvatore mansion in his arms – silently. Despite the fact that neither of us said anything the whole way, there was an unspoken connection that was so strong that I felt like I was going to pass out.

When we were behind the red brick stable again, he gently dropped me onto my feet and linked his arm through mine to escort me back to the celebration. Just before we reached the gilded entrance, I paused and turned to look at him. I tried to speak but couldn't find the words to express myself, so I gave up opening and closing my mouth like a fish and just grinned at him stupidly. I could tell he was laughing as he was smiling, even though he made no sound at all. I think I must have blushed because his finger traced my cheek – but he's been doing that a lot tonight so maybe I wasn't as red as I thought I was.

"Alicia DiGrazio! Where have you been?" The screech of my mother ruined the perfect moment, but I'd had a nightful of perfect moments so I guess I didn't matter that much...

"Damon was just giving me a tour of the grounds, Mother," I muttered in answer, hoping she wouldn't probe further.

"But don't you remember it from when you were here last?"

"I...umm...couldn't remember it very well. And it's a beautiful night." She seemed to believe it because she scowled and changed the subject. "Well we'd better be off now. Come, Alicia," she commanded to me after nodding slightly at Damon.

"Good night, Mrs DiGrazio, thank you for joining us for this _wonderful_ celebration." I don't think my mother heard the sarcasm in his voice – but I did, and I grinned again when he murmured, "And it _was _a _beautiful_ night, indeed."

But Mother whisked me off into the carriage before I could say a proper goodbye. I kept watching him watch me till we turned the corner and I could no longer see my Prince Charming.

**Author Note: thank you soo much for reading this it really means a lot to me! This was my first ever attempt of writing a romantic scene so some feedback would REALLY be appreciated. I don't know when my next update will be, but it will hopefully be soon coz most of my school stuff is out of the way now :) **

**Love Beth xx**


	6. Chapter 5: Mrs Arianna Salvatore?

**Author's Note: sorry this took me a while to write, but I wasn't inspired enough, I guess. But it's here now!**

**Enjoy!**

**Love Beth xx**

**PS: I don't ride horses so if anything isn't accurate, I'm sorry, I just made it up from what I could remember from all the horse books I used to read. If you could correct me I would be grateful, because I plan on using Castagno later on :D**

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><p><strong>The Other Girl<strong>

**Chapter 5: Mrs Arianna Salvatore?**

I woke up the next morning with a smile playing on my lips. My eyelids flickered, but I squeezed them shut so I could hold onto the dream that I was perfectly happy to never wake up from. _If I relaxed enough,_ I thought, _I could fall back to sleep and relive the blissful fantasy._

Just as I was on the brink of the land of dreams, an echoing bang shook me from my almost-slumber. I sighed deeply, and opened my eyes. Three more knocks came from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" I mumbled groggily.

"Carla, miss. Your mother requests your company," my favourite maid answered ever so politely.

"Alright. Thank you Carla. And tell Mother I will be in the parlour shortly," I made an effort to be courteous, even though I didn't appreciate being woken up this early.

"Yes, Miss Alicia." I heard her footsteps grow fainter as she walked away.

Not in the best of moods, I pushed the covers off my bed and swung my legs out. I dragged myself up and shuffled over to the gilded mirror. The girl who looked back at me had chocolate hair in a tangle around her head, and emerald orbs that sparkled a little, despite the fact they looked tired. Her full, pink lips contrasted with her porcelain skin. _That's where he kissed me,_ I thought as my reflection put a finger to her mouth. _At least it's not Damon who's getting married! Wait, did I...? I didn't... Do I..._like _him like that? I think, maybe, I do. But do I love him? Maybe. Probably. I love_ _him. _I _love him. I _love _him. I love _him. _Does he...love...me? Well, he kissed me so... Oh God. How do I tell Mother? But I don't have to tell her...do I? I'd better talk to Damon first. What do I say? Argh! I'll leave that to another day. Yes, later. I'll just get dressed now._

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><p>Several minutes later, and a tiny bit calmer, I descended down the staircase and made my way to the parlour in a pastel blue dress that skimmed the floor. I entered through the heavy white door and surreptitiously sat down on a cream cushioned chair.<p>

"Alicia, how nice of you to join us." _Damn, she noticed me._ "I...um...uh...I'm here now," I mumbled to the floor.

"Speak up, you know I hate mumbling," Mother said sharply, but with an air of boredom. Probably due to the amount of times she'd reprimanded me for 'mumbling'.

"I'm sorry," I enunciated loudly, looking her in the eye. She just coughed snootily.

"As you both know," she began, looking at Arianna – who I hadn't even realised was in the room – and then me, "We attended Mr Salvatore's celebration for the engagement of Stefan last night, and I was struck with an idea. Arianna, we haven't found you a suitor yet, and I think that Damon Salvatore would make an ideal match. Perhaps we could even have a double wedding," she finished animatedly. My jaw dropped. Arianna didn't look too thrilled either.

"Mother, Damon isn't exactly the type of man I would be looking for as a husband. We don't really get along well," my considerate sister pleaded.

"Don't be ridiculous Arianna, I'm sure the two of you could become very close. And the Salvatore fortune isn't something to be sniffed at, either." I think she knew that I liked Damon. A lot. Why else would she suddenly try to match Arrie to him?

"Mother, if it's his money that you want, I think Allie would be a much better match – they seem to have a lot more chemistry than I ever could." God, I love my sister!

"Arianna, dear, I understand that it has been a while since you went to finishing school, but I'm sure Alicia could tell you that it is deemed inappropriate for the eldest son of a family to wed the youngest daughter of another," Mother said brusquely, "And besides, Alicia has already missed her chance with Stefan." I opened my mouth to interrupt, but she kept on going, "But that Mario Russo is fairly wealthy – he would be a good suitor for you, Alicia."

"Mother, I don't like him. End of," I protested. She seemed to ignore me as she continued, "We'll pay Giuseppe a visit this afternoon, then." After standing up, she stalked out of the room, like the hawk she was.

"Allie..." Arrie asked, her voice full of concern. I attempted to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. So I just stared at the marble floor. "I know you like Damon, and from what I can tell, I'm pretty sure he reciprocates your feelings." My head shot up, my eyes wide with wonder. She smiled a small smile, and continued "So, this afternoon, I shall have a private conversation with him and we will agree to visibly be at each other's throats, so Mother and his father couldn't possibly try to get us to agree to a wedding. And Damon isn't the type to be pushed around; therefore, you shouldn't have any problems in that area." She stopped abruptly and breathed out heavily; glancing at me for approval. "I... thank you Arrie!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around her in one of my bear hugs. "Then again, I can only talk to him if you let me breathe; it's your choice!" Arianna whispered roughly. I had to stop almost choking people.

Feeling somewhat optimistic, I sauntered out of the parlour and wandered towards the stables. I heard the familiar whinny of Castagno, my chestnut horse, so I increased my pace and found him with barely any hay left. Rolling my eyes, I rummaged around for more amongst the mess that Fabio had obviously left the stables in. Or maybe Father hadn't bothered to tidy up when he returned home this morning. Whatever the reason, it still meant I couldn't find any spare hay, which irritated me. Stumped, I decided to give up searching and just stole some from Mora's stall. I swear she shot me a glare, so I returned the favour with the glower I save for the back of Mother's head. Mora is suited to Mother perfectly; both stubborn, arrogant and both hate me. Or at least they make it seem that way. The one time I tried to ride Mora, she bucked constantly and I fell off. Mother claims it was my own fault, but she would say that, and it proves my point completely. As I lay the stolen hay in Castagno's hay basket, he nuzzled me, and I stroked his head, brushing his unruly mane out of his eyes. His deep brown pools looked at me sorrowfully, and I felt sorry for him. I don't think he'd been out in days. Then inspiration hit me. It was quite lunch yet, which meant it wasn't afternoon yet, and afternoon could last till about five o clock, right? So I could take Castagno out for a ride and be back in time for the fateful visit to the Salvatore mansion.

A grin plastered on my face, I found my saddle and reins and made sure everything was secure. I jumped up and it felt so good to ride normally, instead of side saddle, like I'd been doing for the past five years. _Damn you, finishing school and all your 'proper, ladylike' behaviour! _

Castagno and I made our way out of the stables and towards the fields I used to play on with Stefan, and sometimes Damon. Damon. The thought of him brought back all of my worries. _What if Arrie did have to marry him, and then he would be my brother in law. I wouldn't be able to deal with it – that was for sure. It would be worse than if it was just some other girl. I could just forget about him then and live my life. But I didn't want to forget about him. Oh God... _

I pushed Castagno into a canter and he raced through the grass as if his life depended on it. I was grateful for the speed as it gave me a way to push all of my worries to the side.

A short while later, he broke into a gallop and we sped across another field. I wasn't concentrating particularly on where we were, all I knew was that we were surrounded by green and everything else was a blur. But suddenly I saw a midnight black shape on the horizon, and I tried to swerve Castagno away from it, but the shape seemed to have the same idea, and we were still going collide. My heart was racing and I made a last-ditch attempt to dodge the hurtling figure by getting my horse to do a one hundred and eighty degree turn and gallop as far away as possible. In no time at all, I realised the shape was a horse and rider with equally jet black hair. "Alicia!" the figure drawled flirtatiously in a voice that sent shivers down my spine. I involuntarily turned my head to check who it was, and in doing so, I lost my balance and tumbled to the grassy floor.

Everything went black.

**Author's Note: What do you think is going to happen next? And who is the rider with jet black hair? (it's not too hard to guess :P) Please check out my other story 'The Real Vegetarian Vampires' a Twilight parody that I've admittedly only done one chapter of, but I'd like to know what you think. And please look at my bff Animaddie's stories and the story we wrote together on ChocolateMooCow!**

**I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Love Beth xx**


	7. Chapter 6: Waking Up

**Author's Note: Thankyou to everybody who reviewed/followed/faved! I love you! And thankyou for reading this, it makes me happy :)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Alicia! Alicia? Allie? <em>Allie?<em> Princess? Princess, can you hear me? Princess?"

My head was spinning and I felt sick.

I dragged my eyelids open a little and the world around me was startlingly bright. I tried to push myself up, but everything spun again and my head was all woozy. I fell back down again, but I didn't hit the ground. A strong arm held me up. I prized my eyes open again and found myself looking into two soft, albeit worried, black pools. "Princess?" a low voice asked, full of anxiety. I attempted to speak but no sound came out of my mouth. "Can you hear me?" the gentle voice probed again. "Blink twice if you can." I fluttered my eyelids and I felt him relax at my consciousness.

A gust of wind blew past us, and a lock of his silky black hair fell in my face. A large hand brushed the hair out of my eyes ever so tenderly and stroked my cheek in doing so. I shivered at his touch, and the charcoal orbs looked at me intently, as if trying to work out the reason for my shiver.

"I'm going to help you sit up now, Princess." He lifted my back as if I was as light as a feather, but he still kept his arm around me. It was as he moved to sit beside me that I noticed he had been on his knees the whole time. Leaning forward, my prince tucked my flyaway hair behind my ear and murmured, "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy... and my head hurts," I mumbled, rubbing the side of my head. I slowly turned my head to look at him, and was greeted with the crooked smile that could only belong to Damon Salvatore.

"D-Damon?" I asked drowsily.

"Yes, Princess?" he answered immediately, grabbing my free hand and holding it protectively.

"You... you almost killed me..." _Why did I say that? Why? He'd just kind of saved my life and I told him he almost killed me. God I hate my mouth sometimes! _Damon looked baffled, and then frowned at our intertwined hands. "What makes you say that?" he murmured carefully.

"I...uh...I don't know why I said that. You didn't - I don't think... My head still hurts, Damon..." I said hopelessly, and stared at the side of his head - he seemed to be very engrossed in his wrist.

"Damon?" I questioned with a little more force and he raised his head to look me in the eye. His intense gaze was enough to momentarily wipe my memory of what I was about to say.

"Yes?" he queried, but he seemed guarded somehow.

"I... I... I..." I couldn't find any words to express myself – I didn't even know what I wanted to say – so I just sighed and rested my head on his shoulder in a similar fashion to how we were in the clearing.

We stayed like that for a while, in complete silence.

Damon broke the silence, saying, "So... I almost killed you, did I? His tone was mocking, full of laughter. I felt my cheeks heat up violently and he chortled, stroking my face.

"I didn't mean to say that... You were riding so fast... I thought we were going crash... I was scared... But you're alright...and I will be in a little while," I muttered as I lifted my head, attempting to redeem myself.

"Oh, it's alright, Princess. But I suppose I could say the same about you. Because, after all, you were riding straight towards me as well." He grinned cockily at me. I rolled my eyes and tried to stand up.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going in this state?" Damon exclaimed, standing up and seizing my hand.

"I need to get home. Mother is making us have lunch so she can lecture us – well, me – on ladylike behaviour before we visit Giuseppe this afternoon," I explained, then realised that our visit would involve him.

"You're visiting my father this afternoon? Why?" he asked, fairly startled.

"Um... Mother wants you to...er...marry...um...Arianna. Arrie doesn't want to, don't worry. I mean it's not like she doesn't like you, she does, but she doesn't like you like that, and she knows that I do and... well... that's it, really." I glanced at him and he just stared, dumbfounded.

"Damon?" I questioned hesitantly when he made no sign of acknowledging what I had said. He just stared.

"Damon, look, I know that was a lot to take in, but I was just as shocked this morning when she announced it to us. I don't know what to do because I don't want you to marry her, but if you do, then I suppose I could live with it... If you were happy..." I trailed off once more. _I shouldn't have said anything. _Anything. _I just wish he would say something..._

Suddenly his lips crashed down on mine, and for the second time today I forgot about everything but him. His left arm snaked around my waist, pulling me to him, and his other hand caressed my hair, holding me close all the while. I kissed him back with all the emotion I had, losing myself in the moment. My arms circled his neck, refusing to let him go, should he try to pull away. My fingers tangled in his silky hair and I melted into him.

But, all too soon, his lips left mine and curved into his beautiful smile. "So you like me then?" my prince whispered, barely audibly, but I could hear the smile in his voice. Rolling my eyes again, I pressed my lips to his for a second and felt my heart turn somersaults in my chest.

"I'll take that as a yes then, my princess," he chuckled, and I swear he emphasised the 'my'. But I didn't mind in the slightest.

Without any warning whatsoever, he scooped me up and carried me bridal style to where Castagno and Mezzanotte were chewing on the field. He sat me on my horse, bowed and kissed my hand, then said solemnly, "My lady." I grinned, elated, even when I saw the cocky smirk I happened to love. He turned on his heel and headed towards his midnight black horse, swinging himself onto the saddle like the accomplished rider he seemed to be. Mezzanotte trotted to meet Castagno and I, and together we set off back to the DiGrazio mansion.

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><p>"How's your head feeling, Miss Alicia?" Damon asked playfully after we'd ridden silently through a couple of fields.<p>

"Fine. Well, it's stopped throbbing, so that has to be a good thing," I returned, beaming.

"Oh. So I don't need to take you back to my house and look after you, do I?" he drawled suggestively, cocking an eyebrow, "If you're _sure_ you didn't injure yourself _any_where else from the fall, then I guess I won't have to check you over, will I?" I giggled, sounding like all the airheads at finishing school, but I couldn't help myself.

"When you put it that way..."

"So is that a yes?"

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to 'look after me' when we visit you this afternoon, Mr Salvatore. It might even convince my mother to change her plans," I smirked, imitating his flirtatious tone.

"We could always practice now," he said, mock thoughtfully.

"Is that an offer?"

"Why, Miss DiGrazio, it is." Without needing further invitation, I jumped down from Castagno and put my arms around him, kissing him softly. Slowly, he pulled away and gazed at me with his penetrating orbs. His beautiful face took my breath away; I could barely breathe. Before I had time to register what he was doing, his hands cupped my face and he was kissing me hungrily. My heart exploded with passion so I did the one thing it was telling me to do; I knotted my hands in his hair and held him closer, kissing him with everything I had.

Completely ruining the moment, my stomach rumbled, reminding me it was lunch time – and also that I hadn't eaten breakfast. Damon pulled away slightly, and murmured in my ear, "Do you want to run away, just the two of us, and we can do this forever, without _any_ interruptions?"

"Yes," I breathed, "But my stomach has other plans. Lunch being one of them." He laughed softly.

"I'll be waiting, Princess," he drawled, but I wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

I remounted Castagno, and he got back onto Mezzanotte, and we reached my family's stables in no time at all.

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><p>"Miss Alicia, I believe this is goodbye for the time being," he said formally, mocking all the 'perfect gentlemen' we'd both come across at various points in our lives. Assisting me down from my horse, he whispered suggestively, "But I'll be seeing you later, my Princess." I smiled shyly at the floor, feeling a blush coming on. But before my cheeks had the chance to completely redden, his mouth was pressing down on mine, and the explosions in my head started again. A moment later he was gone; just a figure on a horse in the distance once more.<p>

I was rendered both breathless and speechless.

Snapping myself out of my reverie, I made my way towards our mansion, ready to await the reprimand that my mother was sure to give me.

**Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will try to update by this time next week. Feedback of all kinds is very appreciated, so please REVIEW!**

**Love, Beth :) **

**PS – I know that in Stefan's Diaries, Mezzanotte is his horse, but as it translates to 'midnight', I thought it suited Damon better.**


	8. Chapter 7: I Want To Run Away

Chapter 7 – I Want To Run Away

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><p>"ALICIA LORETTA DIGRAZIO! WHERE IN GOD'S NAME HAVE YOU BEEN?" I never knew that Mother's voice could get so shrill. <em>Oh here we go<em> I thought, sighing, but nothing could put a damper on my ecstasy. Her large figure stomped down the staircase, fury radiating out of her like a bonfire. As she approached me, I purposefully averted my eyes and gazed at the portraits that decorated the walls.

"Well?" she demanded, hands on hips, scowl in place. Bracing myself, I met her angry stare and said evenly, "I went out for a ride."

"For this long? And why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought that Castagno's absence, along with mine, would be pretty self-explanatory. And I'm sixteen – do I honestly need to tell you when and where I am for every minute of the day?" I replied, albeit apathetically

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady!" Mother's face had started turning an unflattering shade of red.

"I wasn't aware that there was any emotion in my voice. Forgive me if I expressed myself a little." I knew that I was on dangerous territory here, but I couldn't help myself – I wouldn't let her ruin my mood.

"I see that Finishing School was wasted on you – I knew you were a lost cause." _Thanks. But Damon seems to disagree. Maybe I _should_ run away with him... _"And what's that all over your skirt?" she asked furiously, jabbing her finger at my mud-caked dress.

"I fell..." I replied hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't probe further as I didn't think she'd be too pleased at what Damon and I had been doing earlier – especially not with the whole 'youngest daughter, eldest son' etiquette rule she'd mentioned.

"Why did you fall?"

"I got...er...distracted." Yes, 'distracted' covered it perfectly.

"By what, exactly?" _Hells teeth! This was like the Spanish Inquisition!_

"Um... a bird." _Please don't ask any more questions._

"You've seen a bird before. Why did it make you fall off your horse?" I think she knew something was up – she'd never been on my case this badly before. But what was I worrying about – I _had _fallen off Castagno – I wasn't lying.

"Well it um... flew out of nowhere... it startled me... But I'm fine now," I added hastily, praying that Mother dearest would leave me alone to dream about Damon. _Did I really just think that? Oh God, I need to get a grip!_

She was glaring at me expectantly.

"Sorry, um...could you say that again? Please?"

My mother suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me towards her. "You need to learn to listen to and _respect_ your elders," she hissed in my face, "I will not tolerate this behaviour anymore, do you hear me?"

I nodded shakily, surprised at her outburst. Maybe I'd gone too far this time. I loved winding her up, but I've never, ever seen her this irate. Not even when she slapped me yesterday.

"At this rate Alicia, you will never find a husband – I don't know of _any _man that would want _any_thing to do with a girl like you. You're a disgrace! I had hoped this...this impertinence was something that school would stamp out of you, but it seems I was wrong. Now get out of my sight – I can't bear to look at you," she spat venomously, eyes flaming with rage.

I was speechless. But she had no right to say that. She may be my mother but there had to limits.

"Fine. I have no problem with that. But school 'stamping out my impertinence' is not the only thing you're wrong about. I am _not _a lost cause, I _will_ find a husband – I already have a suitor – and I am _not _a disgrace. _You _are." And with that, I yanked my arm out of her vice-like grasp and stormed out.

Tears of anger and hurt threatened to spill down my cheeks, but I gritted my teeth and refused to let them escape. Grabbing my skirts, I sprinted to the stables for the second time today.

I shoved open the door, startling a mouse nesting in a corner, and hurried to Castagno's stall. Not bothering with a saddle, I swung myself onto him, having no problems with riding bareback. He trotted out and I eased him into a canter, knotting my fingers into his chestnut mane. Once we reached the edge of my family's land, I pushed him into a gallop, loving the feeling of the wind whipping my hair. Immersing myself in the soaring sensation, I slowly began to let go of the emotions I'd pent up.

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><p>When I reached the Salvatore mansion, I rode to their stables and wordlessly jumped off Castagno, leaving the stable hand bewildered. "I'll take care of him, miss," he called to my back. I mentally thanked him and rushed up the steps to the front door. I knocked impatiently until the guard who'd been at the party opened the door and said, "Yes? Miss..." He looked me up and down as if trying to work out whether I deserved that status and, in my current state – muddy dress, windswept hair – I was in no position to object.<p>

"Damon... Need Damon..." I told him breathlessly. He looked extremely unsure about letting me into his master's grand house. I could only pray he'd take pity on me.

"I'm not sure I can allow you entrance...miss," the butler sneered. I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could, a melodious voice drawled, "Oh don't be such spoil sport. Now, to whom do I owe the pleas-" He was cut off by me running full pelt past Mr Snooty Face and crashing into him.

"Allie? I know I'm irresistible, but it's only been a little while since..." Furrowing his brow, he took in my tearstained face and less-than-immaculate appearance. His comforting warm hand found mine and he led me to an empty parlour. Sitting me down on a cream sofa, he grasped both my hands and gazed at me intently. "What happened, Princess?" he asked solemnly – I didn't think I'd seen him as serious as this since...well, earlier today when I'd fallen off Castagno, but I certainly don't remember him ever being like this when we were younger. But that wasn't the point. I needed to tell him what happened – or just tell him I wanted to run away now.

"Damon, I want to do it."

"It...?" His face brightened as realisation struck, "Not that I'm saying no, but don't you think the atmosphere would be better in the evening, it would be more romantic, but I'm definitely _not _saying no."

"I don't really care when, but I'd rather do it now, if you don't mind."

"'If I don't mind', Princess, of course I don't mind! Now come on." He helped me up and tugged me towards the grand marble staircase. Our path was blocked by Mr Snooty Face who impolitely asked, "Mr Salvatore, what should I tell your father?"

"Don't bother, but if you must, tell him that I'm keeping company with a beautiful young lady," Damon replied with his signature eye roll, but grinned at me. I blushed, but wondered what Giuseppe was going to do when he found out his eldest son had run away. With me. He probably wouldn't care that much – other than the fact it would shame the family. Damon and Giuseppe had never got on well – that was something I definitely recall from our childhood.

Damon almost ran up the steps, and as usual, I was trailing along behind him. When we reached the top, he took an unexpectedly sharp left and I nearly fell over. Again. But I had barely been able to stand half an hour ago as I had just fallen off a horse, so I could always use that as an excuse.

Pristine colourful corridors flew past as Damon strode purposefully to God knows where and I hurried along almost beside him, his pace making me a little breathless. "Where are we going?" I wondered aloud. Damon actually stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at me incredulously, raising his eyebrows. "Where do you think we're going?"

"I don't know. The pantry?"

"You're really not picky are you? And the pantry's on the ground floor," he laughed, music to my ears.

"I knew that," I mumbled sullenly. He chuckled and a smile crept onto my face.

After seeing portraits of almost all the Salvatores since the beginning of time, I was glad when we came to a stop outside a closed door. Pushing the door open, he smirked at me then pulled me inside to what I assume was his bedroom – the four poster bed being the major give away. But before I had any time whatsoever to take in my surroundings, he was kissing me passionately and although I wasn't sure what this would achieve in Operation Let's Run Away, I had no objections so I kissed him back eagerly. I could feel him moving somewhere, but I was so intoxicated by the kiss that I didn't care where he took me as long as I could stay in his arms. Before I knew where I was, I was lying on Damon's bed and he was on top of me, one hand cupping my face, the other undoing the laces of my bodice. Then it hit me. He thought I meant... _oh merda!_

My eyes snapped open and I turned my head as much as I could, but that only encouraged him to trail kisses down my neck and I shivered with pleasure. A little voice inside my head said _"Well this is nice, and despite the fact it's not what you were thinking of, it's still great so why not just go with it?" _but then the more rational part of me argued, _"It's not what you want so stop and _tell _him, and besides, this moment was supposed to be romantic, and one o'clock in the afternoon is _not _romantic." _Mustering all the strength I had, I pushed him off me and shuffled backwards, sitting cross legged on the bed. I felt horrible. I'd led him on – unwittingly – and he was bewildered. And hurt too, I'm pretty sure. But, being the coward I was, I couldn't bring myself to look at him, so I just stared at the royal blue bedspread, waiting for him to say something, _anything_.

_Talk to him, you idiot, tell him it was a mistake, tell him what you really meant. Damon, I... You need to open your mouth, stupido! __Maledizione__! _And as this was whirling through my head, I found myself clambering off his bed and standing up, causing him to look at me. When our eyes met, the hurt and confusion was evident in the midnight orbs I got lost in so often. And that saddened me more than Mother's harsh words had. Because the truth is, I could happily live without my mother criticising my every move, but when it comes to it, I'd have a pretty damn hard life without being able to lose myself in Damon's eyes. And the guilt I felt for pushing him away drove me to running around the bed (no way was I getting back on it and giving him false hope) and embracing him tightly, murmuring "I'm sorry," softly into his ear. He turned to look at me; a long calculating stare that had me more nervous than I think I've ever been. I just thought: _che diavolo _and began my grovelling speech.

"The thing is, I had a fight with my mother because she said I was a disgrace and no man would ever love me and just about everything a daughter doesn't want to hear, so I decided I wanted to run away...with you. That's what I meant by 'it'. Because it was the last thing you said to me earlier, so I presumed you'd know that's what I was talking about, but now I see that I was giving you the wrong impression and leading you on and I really didn't mean to. And I've realised that I was really unclear, as I'm pretty sure if someone had said that to me, I would have thought along the same lines as you so... I'm _really _sorry, Damon. And the right thing for me to do now would be to leave, but I don't particularly want to have to see my mother any time soon and I really don't want to leave you and your eyes but I wi-" I was cut off from my monologue by him sweeping me into his arms and kissing me briefly on the lips.

"One thing you should know about me, Princess, is that Damon Salvatore does not apologise – it's a sign of weakness – but for you... I just might make an exception. _I'm _sorry, Alicia. You should never jump to conclusions and I did. But I'm definitely up for running away if you're still willing..." he drawled and kissed me again. Then I had another hunger pang and Damon heard it and laughed loudly. "Still no lunch, Princess? I'm sure if we go to the pantry-"

"Which is downstairs, I know!" I interrupted, at which he laughed harder.

"As I was saying: if we go _downstairs _to the pantry, I'm sure I can sneak you some ginger Snow Cream – you still wolf that down like there's no tomorrow, don't you?" he teased, and I scowled at him before saying, "Every time we seem to meet this happens, doesn't it? You're really good to me – like saving my life – then I do or say something stupid, then you forgive me, then I'm hungry. It's like we live in a cycle!"

"You're just hungry for me, tesora" Damon wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously.

Down the hall I heard Stefan ask Mr Snooty Face, "Where's Damon?" to which the butler replied, "Entertaining a girl."

"Oh. I won't bother him then – I don't think he'd thank me for that!" Stefan said, attempting a laugh.

"He could be a while – she was one of _those _types, the ones he seems to favour so much."

"Damon's not like that!" Stefan insisted, ready to defend his brother.

"I apologise – it was not my place to say that, sir." _Big fat suck up!_

"Oh. _Oh Dio! _Alicia. Allie!" Damon moaned salaciously. I think I actually heard Stefan faint. Horror struck, I elbowed him in the ribs which made him yell "OW!"

"Shut up!" I hissed, mortified, "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Stefan's so good and pure and innocent and all of that crap, I just _had _to. If only I could've seen his face – it would be priceless.

Furious, but amused all the same, I grabbed his hand and stormed out the room. "Stefan. Damon was _not _entertaining me – I promise you – and he just said all of that to piss you off," I said almost apologetically. I turned to the butler, "And I am _not _'one of those girls' I'll have you know. I am Alicia DiGrazio and I have the power to complain to Giuseppe Salvatore and you will lose your job for addressing a lady in such a manner."

"But will he not wonder what you and Mr Damon were doing _alone_ in his room?"

"For your information, Damon is escorting me to Stefan's wedding, and we were privately discussing attire and gifts." And with that, I stalked off in the best imitation of Mother that I could achieve.

"What was that for?" Damon mocked me when we were out of earshot, "Now I have to get him a gift! But at least I get to escort a beautiful lady." I ignored him and wandered to where I hoped that pantry would be.

"The pantry's that way, Princess."

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it's been a while since the last update but I went on holiday and lost almost all of my creative juice :P For all of you Italian speakers out there, I'd like to apologise if it's incorrect, but I had to make do with Google Translate. For all of you none Italian speakers, here's a little glossary:**

**merda – shit  
><strong>**stupido - idiot  
><strong>**maledizione – damn  
><strong>**che diavolo – what the hell  
><strong>**tesora – sweetheart  
><strong>**Dio – God  
><strong>**Snow Cream – now 'snow cream' isn't Italian, but it's a 16th century dessert I found on Wikipedia – 'made of ****cream, ****rosewater**** and sugar, whipped until stiff'**

**I hope that helped, and most of all, I hope you enjoyed reading it!**

**Please review and let me know what you think :)**

**Love Beth xxx**


	9. Chapter 8: University

**EDIT: I've reuploaded this chapter because the line breaks didn't work before and it was a leetle confusing. So the chapter itself hasn't changed, I've just slotted in the lines to make it more understandable xx**

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><p><strong>AN – I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated in ages but I've had no free time and I haven't been inspired lately :( **

**I'd like to say a huge thank you to everybody who reviewed because they really make my day! And a special thank you to GeeGee47 because she kept bugging me to finish this chappie so it probably wouldn't be here without her :D**

**To answer Katie Felton's question, I don't have a specific day when I upload, it's usually at the weekend (I know today completely contradicts that) but whenever I can get something half decent written by. And if by TF you mean Tom Felton then I completely agree with you there!**

**Enjoy this (admittedly short) chapter xx**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: University<strong>

The rest of the days passed uneventfully, but I couldn't have enjoyed them more. Having finally worked out the issues I had with my mother was a great weight to lift off my shoulders, and we got along well enough. Well, 'got along' was a bit of a stretch, but we were no longer at each others' throats which could only be a good thing. Every other moment was sheer bliss – Damon is the best companion I think I've ever had. Except for Stefan, perhaps. But I love Stefan differently to Damon. Stefan is sweet and thoughtful, and a real gentleman, and we have that special bond of childhood friendship that will never be broken.

But Damon is just...indescribable. Despite the fact we've only really known each other since I returned from the School of Hell, we can finish each other's sentences, and I've never felt such elation. He's witty and sarcastic and flirty and suggestive, but never pushy. Save for the awkward incident in his room – but even then he forgave my prudishness almost instantly.

However, all good things must come to an end – or so I'm told – and the news Damon gave to me one sunny Tuesday afternoon was enough to ruin my cheery spirit.

"Princess, do you remember Father mentioning – more than a few times – his wish for me to attend university?" he mumbled absentmindedly into my hair.

"Um...maybe... Yeah, I think so. Why?" In all honesty, I wasn't listening to his words as such, just his beautiful alluring drawl, and I smiled to myself as I interlocked our fingers.

It took him a while to reply; he sighed a couple of times then turned my head to gaze into my eyes. He said bluntly, "I'm going. Next week."

I was stunned. He was _leaving _me? Wait, I wasn't that girl who desperately needed a man by her side – whatever society may dictate. I don't _need _him as such; I just _want _him with me. A lot.

"I-you-what?" was all I could manage to get out in my astonishment.

"I'm going to the University of Virginia. I leave on Saturday night." Damon's tone was emotionless, reflecting the void I was beginning to feel inside. "I'm sorry, Princess, I truly am. I've argued with him so many times, but I can't persuade him to change his mind." He bit his lip and furrowed his brow and I had to take several deep breaths to steady my voice.

"It's...okay, Damon. It will be – it has to be! And besides, we can write, and visit each other and-and..." Deep breath. "And-" I couldn't continue talking because of the tears flowing freely down my cheeks.

With a feather-light touch he brushed the teardrops away gently, before pulling me into a tight embrace and burying his face in my hair. All too soon, he let go and spun me round to face him directly. "I love you, Alicia DiGrazio. And I always will. The three years will fly by, and before you know it, I'll be back and, providing you haven't gotten yourself married to some prat – cough, Russo, cough – then maybe, just maybe, you might find a diamond ring on your pretty little finger," he finished, stroking my left hand. His charcoal orbs stared into mine searchingly, as if checking to see if his promise was well received. And it was. As I didn't trust my shaky voice at the moment, I gave my seal of approval in the form of a kiss, to which Damon reacted almost violently. His protective hands cupped my face and pulled me closer, whilst pouring his soul into the passionate exchange. Tucking a stray lock of chocolate behind my ear, he trailed soft kisses down my jaw and I shivered in delight.

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><p>Fluttering my eyelids open slowly, I woke to find myself curled next Damon, and I could feel his chest rising and falling peacefully under my head. Disentangling myself carefully so I didn't wake him, I stood up and re-laced my bodice, thinking how angelic he looked when he slept. With a chaste kiss on his forehead, I yanked on my shoes and slowly walked back towards the DiGrazio manor.<p>

"So you're just going to leave me half-dressed in a field? I expected more from you, Alicia," a musical drawl from behind me asked amusedly. I scowled at him and said, "I needed to get home and you were so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."

"Hm. I might forgive you..." he mused, eyes twinkling.

"You better. I do really need to go, though. So I'll see you tomorrow?" I replied, rolling my eyes. At this, he scrambled up uncharacteristically hastily and jogged to my side.

"My lady, you need a chaperone – you can't possibly walk through these dangerous fields alone. Allow me to escort you," he smirked and offered his arm. Smiling slightly, I took it and together we wandered back to the rest of the world, me in a little bubble of ecstasy.

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><p>"Damon's leaving for university?" Arianna frowned, when I broke the news to her.<p>

"Uh-huh."

"I suppose it makes sense – he is twenty after all. Are you going to keep in touch?"

"What do you think?" I shot back, playfully hitting her arm. "But I'm not sure it'll be enough. What if he meets someone else in the city? An older woman with more to inherit than me?" I finally voiced my fears, but it I didn't feel as cathartic as I'd hoped I would.

"For God's sake, Lissie! Have you not seen the way he looks at you? And to be perfectly honest, you're not _that_ much younger than him, so there isn't much of a chance of him meeting someone older than you. And do you think he gives a damn about money? We're practically the richest family in Florence – excepting the Salvatores – so it'd be pretty hard for him to find a girl with a bigger inheritance than you. Don't worry!" she said soothingly.

I love Arianna sometimes (all the time), I really do. No one else could possibly reassure me the way she does.

"Are you sure? Okay, okay, I know. You're sure," I mumbled, slightly embarrassed, so I pulled her into a hug to deflect attention from my reddening face.

"Why are you embarrassed, honey? It's perfectly natural to be worried about something like that," she comforted me, like the mother I never had. Or like the person I want my mother to be.

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><p>"We should have run away when we had the chance. Well, we still have time now…" I trailed off hopefully, looking up at Damon from his tight embrace.<p>

"Princess, we-I can't. Not now. I owe it to Stefan to not piss Father off anymore. My going away takes some of his focus off Stefan's wedding which makes the whole thing a lot easier for my baby brother," he explained sadly. I sighed and glanced over to the butlers who were loading the grand Salvatore carriage with Damon's trunks. "Are you calling me a baby?" I blurted, lost in my own train of thought. Damon frowned, confused. "What?"

"You just called Stefan your baby brother-"

"That's because he is."

"I know – kind of – but I'm the same age as him so if he's a baby to you, does that mean that I'm a baby to you as well?"

"Has anyone ever told you you're ridiculous?" he laughed, hugging my closer.

"Maybe," I grumbled. Smirking, he continued, "Stefan _is _my baby brother; I constantly patronise him – have you never noticed?"

"I suppose."

"But _you _are a beautiful woman-" I blushed. "-who will _never _be a baby in my eyes. Happy?"

"A bit. But I'm four years your junior so what if you meet a woman at university who's older and…better…than me?"

"So _this_ is what you're worried about. Me running off with another woman." He shook his head and chuckled quietly. "Women don't _go _to university, darling, they go to _finishing school_. Where they learn how to stick needles into fabric and how to please their husband," he said, slightly condescendingly.

"Hey! I went to finishing school and I learned….all that _useful_ information. But I played with Stefan for years so don't think I don't know how to hit a boy!" I quipped, elbowing him in the ribs.

"A man, thank you very much."

"Riiiight. You don't turn twenty-one till December; therefore you are still a boy. However, Luigi Russo is twenty-_two_, I believe…" I wiggled my eyebrows, teasing him.

"I am _much _more of a man than that _slimeball_ is. If that mutt so much as gets his filthy paws on you, I will rip his head off. And his-" he growled possessively.

"Damon! That's a bit excessively violent, don't you think? I was just joking. I wouldn't go within a hundred miles of that thing. But I can't say the same for his brother…" I said innocently.

"That's not funny," Damon spat, enunciating each word. Seeing his dark expression, I grabbed his hands and held both them and his gaze as I said seriously, "Damon, listen to me. I'm just messing with you – which now I understand I shouldn't have done. I didn't realise that was a sensitive issue for you. You need to know that I…I love you, Damon. And I'm…I'm scared that you'll want someone else when you go so I was just trying to make light of the situation because I really, really don't want you to leave. Even though I've only really known you for about a month, I think I've fallen in love with you, and I know _that _sounds ridiculous, but it's…it's true."

Suddenly, he dipped me back as if we were dancing and whispered in my ear, "Don't forget the promise I made you on Tuesday, Alicia." Then his lips ghosted mine and before I knew it, he was hugging me protectively. Caught off guard and _very _distracted, I mumbled, "What promise?" into his shoulder, but before he had time to reply, Giuseppe Salvatore yelled, "Damon! Come say goodbye to Stefan and your old man." Scowling, Damon released me from his bear-like grasp and gazed intently at me _oh those sparkling midnight eyes _before jogging off to meet his father. I followed him numbly, knowing he was almost gone.

I watched my raven-haired prince give Stefan a brotherly hug, nod at Giuseppe who patted him on the shoulder, and then smile at me sorrowfully before clambering gracefully into the gilded horse-drawn coach. Fighting back tears, I tried to smile at him, but it must have come out more like a grimace because I think I saw him chuckle faintly.

And then he was gone. All that was left was the golden carriage glittering in the midday sun. Then I let the tears fall.

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><p><strong>AN – I don't know when the next update will be but I promise I won't leave it for two whole months (bad Beth, bad Beth) (think 'bad Dobby, bad Dobby' and you'll get what I mean…awkward cyber silence….) Anyway, I also promise that the next chapter will have some more Damony goodness in it – I couldn't leave him out of a whole chapter, it would kill me!**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, let me know, if you didn't…ditto. Just hit the little button down there…. **

**Love Beth xxx :)**


	10. Chapter 9: Katherine

**EDIT: I have only just realised that the first couple of sentences didn't get posted (I will never understand technology), so here they are - it might make a leetle more sense now :D**

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><p><strong>AN – Hellooo again! As I'm going on holiday to FLORIDA in a couple of days, I decided to be extra nice and give you a chapter that was much longer than I planned :) Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Months later, Stefan and I were sat in the rose garden that Giuseppe dedicated to his late wife. We were both silent for a while, watching water droplets gently cascade over the petite fountain in the centre of the garden.<p>

Realising that this was the part in the social outing that required conversation, I tried to think up the nicest way to break my friend's daydream.

"So…?" I asked Stefan suggestively, "How's the fiancée?" He closed his eyes momentarily and sighed. "Great. She's…great…"

"Great!" I teased, wiggling my eyebrows, à la Damon. He almost scowled, then remembered himself and returned to his neutral expression.

"So when's the wedding?" I prompted cheerily. I was in a particularly good mood as Damon's return was growing nearer and nearer.

"March 2nd," he replied, emotionless.

"Has Carlotta picked a dress yet?"

"I believe so."

"Have you picked your suit yet?"

"Father is in the process of doing so."

"Are you excited in the slightest?"

"Yes."

"Truthfully?"

"Yes…"

I glared at him.

"Fine, fine. No, I'm not excited, but I'll try my best to be."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Have you chosen a cake?"

"No."

"AARRGGHH!" Stefan flinched at my sudden outburst, but I ignored him and said, "You could at least _try_ to help me out with the conversation, you know. Despite my years of learning social skills, I'm not accomplished enough to carry a whole discussion on my own!" Looking a little ashamed and guilty, my best friend mumbled, "Sorry, Alicia. I'm just not very…er…enthusiastic about this…you know."

"It's okay, Steffy, I get it. I'd hate to marry a self-centred bit- I mean witch, too," I soothed, reaching out to envelope him in one of my bear hugs.

"Hey! I _d_ohave to marry her, you know. So don't call her a 'self-centred _witch_'," Stefan cried indignantly, stressing 'witch', insinuating that I was too loose-tongued.

"Sorry," I said meekly. And then added in what I thought was an unintelligible undertone, "She is though." But he must have heard because he frowned at me and muttered, "Maybe Damon isn't such a good influence on you after all." It was my turn to scowl, but I said nothing because I think he was probably right.

"I've been counting down the days – only five more to go!" I exclaimed, letting my mind wander into Damonland, imagining his seductive drawl, his teasing chuckle, his unkempt raven hair and his _beautiful, mesmerising _eyes_. _And the sparks I feel whenever we make contact. Ah, I can't wait to see him again!

"Earth to Alicia!"

I started, and found the younger Salvatore waving his hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my Damon-dream. "Sorry," I giggled, "I was thinking about Damon again."

"Surprise, surprise. God, you're hopeless. But I wish I had with Lotta what you and Damon have," he sighed wistfully.

"Oh so she's '_Lotta_' now, is she?"

"Shut up. And yes. It's more…personal than her full name."

"Alrighty then. And yes, to your other point, me and Damon do have something rather special, don't we?"

"Yeah you do. But's it's still strange though. He's my _brother_, my _older brother_, and you may as well be my sister… And to think you might be married someday, with children, which will mean you've… Ugh. I mean, you _had _to go and fall in love my _brother_."

"Mm yeah! Well, children doesn't necessarily mean _that_, Stefan. It's not like you get pregnant _every_ time. Did you never have The Talk?"

"Yes. I know it doesn't…wait what? You-you and Da-_my brother!_ I am going to _kill _him! You're _sixteen_! You're not even married! Y-y-you _can't _have, Allie, please tell me you haven't!"

"As for 'in love with him', I'm not sure yet. It's not like we've known each other for that long…" I said mock-thoughtfully, ignoring Stefan who was apoplectic with rage.

"_This isn't helping your situation, Alicia_,_" _he ground out through gritted teeth.

"But maybe I do love him… I mean, he sure as hell _showed_ me how much he loved me…" Taunting Stefan is so fun. He's so easy to wind up, it's unbelievable.

However, if his scarlet face was any indication, I think he was about to explode.

"I'm kidding. Kind of. But still. Yes, I am sixteen, so I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and I have decided I love him, so you'll just have to deal with it. CALM DOWN, for goodness sakes, Stef – I don't particularly fancy clearing up the gloop my best friend left behind when he burst all over the garden."

"I can't believe you, Alicia, I thought you knew better. And as for Damon… Well, let's just say ladies won't find him so damn attractive when I'm through with him," he grumbled angrily.

"_Please._ You couldn't even beat _me _up, let alone _Damon_," I snorted. Then hastily coughed to disguise my amusement when I met his fierce glower. "I mean, you could _so _kick his ass…" I tried hesitantly.

"How eloquent," he muttered sarcastically.

"That's me!" I smiled brightly. His lip twitched, and I knew I was nearly forgiven. "Anyway, we should probably get going now."

"Probably," he agreed, and we made our way back towards the Salvatore mansion with only a fairly awkward silence for company – better than I imagined.

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><p>As we approached the manor, I was once again struck by the grandeur of the Salvatore residence – something I should be used to, bearing in mind all the time I'd spent there recently.<p>

Pulling up just outside the majestic entrance was a cream carriage, understated yet expensive to the trained eye, which, of course, mine was. Well, not really, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't cheap, given the polished gold framework. From his regal stance at the doorway, Giuseppe noticed me and Stefan and eagerly waved us over. I glanced at Stefan questioningly, but he looked just as confused as I felt, so I shrugged and grabbed his hand to drag him towards his father.

"Stefan!" he called, obviously pleased to see his younger, rule-abiding son. "And Alicia." He seemed slightly less pleased, but not dismayed at the thought of me being there.

"Mr Salvatore," I said politely, curtseying respectfully as I remembered the manners I'd had driven into me. Giuseppe inclined his head and turned his attention back to the carriage.

The chauffeur opened the door and out stepped a woman. A drop-dead beautiful woman. Her lightly tanned oval face was framed by dark chocolate curls, whilst the rest of her tresses were pinned up elegantly on top of her head. Dark brown almond eyes calmly observed her current surroundings; full, pink lips parted ever so slightly in interest. On her exposed décolletagelay a large turquoise stone on a simple silver chain, subtly drawing attention to her accentuated chest – undoubtedly the intention. Her pastel green gown fitted her perfectly, highlighting her curvaceous figure, but managing to look demure all the while. In her gloved fingers she held a white parasol over her head, and she twirled it playfully as she gracefully floated towards us.

Behind the great beauty was a maid, dressed plainly in white and quite pretty, but insignificantly so compared to her lady. The maid followed her dutifully up the stone steps until coming to a halt beside her.

"I'm Katherine Pierce," the brunette said quietly. Her voice was musical and engaging, and she held the elder Salvatore's gaze confidently as she sunk into a curtsey, much more graceful than mine had been minutes earlier.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Pierce. I hope you will enjoy your stay here," Giuseppe said warmly to his guest.

"I'm sure I will. In time," she replied sadly, smiling just a little. "Your children?" she asked, indicating Stefan and I. For the first time, I glanced at Stefan and found his mouth to be agape and his green eyes wide.

_Boys… Honestly. She's not that pretty…well, actually she is._

His father's voice cut through my momentary daydream, saying, "This is my youngest son, Stefan, and his childhood friend, Alicia DiGrazio. Although she isn't related, Stefan considers her family. Isn't that right, Stefan?"

Shaken from his lovestruck stupor, he mumbled, "Mm? Oh, yes…" Regaining full awareness, he then added, "It isa pleasure, Miss Pierce." Katherine extended her hand and Stefan kissed it briefly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr Salvatore, believe me. And call me Katherine." I swear I saw a tinge of pink rising in Stefan's cheeks. "Nice to meet you, too, Alicia. I'm certain we will be good friends," she said sweetly, her eyes suddenly alight with childlike happiness. I only smiled tightly in reply.

"Miss Pierce, if you will follow me, I will show you to your room. I hope it is satisfactory," said Giuseppe authoritatively. She nodded her head and walked after him, appearing to hover along the ground. Stefan turned and stared at her retreating back in amazement. Feeling slightly unwanted, I muttered, "I'd better be going now," and set off towards my Katherine-free house.

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><p>During the next couple of days, I began to feel very neglected. Stefan spent every waking moment keeping Katherine company – 'helping her feel at home' – and Arianna was drowning in ball gown fittings for some neighbour's upcoming party. To which I wasn't invited. I wonder why.<p>

But luckily Saturday, the day of Damon's return, eventually came around, and on Friday evening I was bubbling with anticipation. I fidgeted all through dinner, and Mother shot me some very funny looks – which I ignored. When I was finally granted leave of the table, I hurried up the staircase and browsed frantically through my wardrobe, trying to find the perfect dress.

A couple of hours later, I settled on a satin sapphire number that cinched in at my waist then flared out in a full circle when I twirled round. It had tiny silver detailing on the bodice and a chiffon sash round the middle. Still not perfect, but it would have to do.

That night, I went to bed early, without supper, so as to get the most beauty sleep possible. I'd need it if he was to be living in the same house as Miss Katherine Pierce. I shouldn't resent her – it's not her fault she's gorgeous – but I was still a little anxious that Damon would have a similar reaction as Stefan when he meets her tomorrow.

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><p>Despite my attempt to fall asleep quickly, I lay awake half the night. Partly worrying he'd fall for Katherine, and partly buzzing with excitement at <em>finally <em>seeing him again. Slowly but surely, morning came around, and I crawled out of bed tiredly and wriggled into my dress. I stood in front of my looking glass arranging and rearranging my hair in a desperate attempt to look as un-Katherine-ish as possible. In the end, I just combed through it fiercely, and the curls fell into gentle waves. I tugged a few strands forward to frame my face, and then I just left the rest to do what it pleased and hoped for the best. Taking a deep, 'calming' breath, I gathered myself together and shuffled down the stairs into the parlour.

Mother stared at me in bewilderment for a few seconds until asking, "Why are you dressed in that fashion?"

"I…er…I'm going to…er…meet – erm – greet Damon when he returns…" I stuttered, unsure how my mother would take it. She gave me another funny look but only said, "Very well," before sweeping out the room and towards the dining hall. A little taken aback, I followed her warily and perched myself on the edge of the first chair I came to.

"Lissie! You look _beautiful_!" Arrie cried as I sat down, and I jumped a bit, not expecting to see – or hear – her.

"Thanks," I muttered to the floor, wishing that I actually did look half as nice as she made me out to. Of course, she knew what today was – I'd been counting down the days religiously since he left.

I quickly shovelled some porridge down and took a slurp of water before bolting from the table. I dashed outside for some fresh air and I tried not to empty my stomach on the dewy grass. I shouldn't be so nervous – it's getting ridiculous! Once I'd regained control of my breathing and stomach, I slowly set off for the Salvatore manor, staring fixedly at the dusty path and not letting my mind wander.

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><p>I had perfect timing. He was disembarking from his horse-drawn carriage and the moment I laid eyes on him, I lost the self-control I'd been building myself up for and threw myself full pelt across the lawn until I landed in the warm arms I'd dreamed about for so long.<p>

"Well hello, Princess," he drawled into my ear, and I squeezed him tighter as I sobbed harder into his chest. "It is you, isn't it?" Lifting my head, I fixed him with my best glare then returned to hugging him as he kissed my hair.

"I missed you _so _much!" I whispered, not trusting my voice not to quiver.

"I missed you too, Princess. College life sure is dull without my favourite brunette princess there to kiss away my boredom." Upon hearing this, I grinned coyly up at him and met his lips briefly. He tried to deepen the kiss but I pulled away and gestured to the vaguely surprised onlookers, mumbling, "People…"

"People what?"

"People…I…erm…looking…us…er…" More of the usual nonsense that comes out of my mouth.

He just chuckled quietly and took my hand. As we strolled towards the grand doors, he called out, "Morning Father, Stefan." I'm pretty sure I saw Stefan's jaw clench when he saw Damon and I kiss, but I ignored him – he wasn't going to spoil my reunion. Damon must have noticed too, because he said in an undertone, "What's got my baby brother's panties in a twist?"

I snorted at his choice of words, then answered, "He wasn't too chuffed about our…er…activities the other day."

"You told him?" Damon frowned.

"More like he accidently mentioned how uncomfortable he was with the two of us and I…er…confirmed his concerns."

He laughed loudly and planted a kiss on my cheeks.

The ecstasy I'd been missing while he was away had returned and I was back on top of my cloud. Until he froze in the doorway and let out a low whistle. I whipped my head around and found myself face to face with none other than Katherine Pierce.

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><p><strong>AN – DUN DUN DUNNN! ****What will happen next? Tell me what you think – I'd like to see if anyone has a better plot idea than the one in my head. I won't be able to update for quite a while because I'm going on holiday (like I said) and then I've got a show and exams. *mega sigh***

**Oh and I'm not sure if they had porridge in the 16****th**** century, but as this is my story, I shall make things happen how **_**I **_**want. Hehe :P**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and whether or not you did, please leave me a review for when I get back from Florida (and the superhappiness has worn off)**

**Love Beth xxx XD**


	11. Chapter 10: Sweet Jealousy

**A/N – Hi guys! I am so sorry I've been AWOL for a while, but I've had exams etc and muse-losing :( **

**Thank you so so so so so much for the reviews, it really means a lot to me! And thank you for just reading this – it's always a lovely surprise to see the number of hits and know that people out there take the time out to read what I write!**

**Oh, and please hold on till the end – I have a favour I need to ask you all!**

**I will shut up now. Enjoy!**

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><p>"You must be Damon!" Katherine exclaimed sweetly as she danced over to us. I could feel anger boiling up in me and I ground out, "Yes he is. Now excuse us," through gritted teeth and tugged on Damon's hand. But he didn't budge. I turned to face him and saw he was wearing a similar expression to Stefan when he met Little Miss Pierce: eyes startlingly wide and wonderstruck, with his jaw dropped a mile. He let go of my hand and reached for Katherine's gloved one, kissing it and murmuring, "Incantato."<p>

I couldn't believe this – my nightmare was coming true!

Katherine, the little bit- _I'm a lady, I'm a lady, I don't swear_ – ducked her stupid glossy head as if blushing, but I could see that her cheeks did not flush – as mine most certainly did when Damon flirted with me. But that means he's…he's…_flirting _with her. With _her. _

I lost it then.

"Damon," I snapped, and when he still did not acknowledge me, I stamped on his foot. I might be small, but I can put a lot of force into injuring someone, it seems, because he yelped instantly.

"AARRGGHH! What the fuck was that fo-." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me. And whether it was out of guilt, or terror at my expression, he hastily retreated to the staircase mumbling, "I need to…" The rest of his excuse was lost, although I highly doubt it had even formed in his head.

"Do you think he's alright? I do hope so – it would be awful if there was something terribly wrong, wouldn't it?" asked Katherine – as if she actually cared! I bet she was just planning to…I don't know what, but I'm positive it involved ruining mine and Damon's happiness. _Let her try, _I scoffed, _he _loves _me, she's just a pretty face – I have personality – a _likeable _personality – and that's more than can be said for _her_!_

"Alicia?" she said, touching my arm, "You do think Damon will be fine, don't you?" I hated her fake concern, I really did.

"He is just fine. Perfectly fine. So don't meddle where you're not wanted," I spat, and turned on my heel to storm out of the Salvatore's mansion.

As I was halfway to the door, I realised I'd have to face countless busy bodying people who would want to know why I looked like I could murder someone. So I attempted to rearrange my features into something less furious-looking.

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><p>I stared down at my scarlet silk dress and wondered if it was a little too…over the top, suggestive, attention-seeking. <em>But that was the point<em>, I reminded myself, _to _make _Damon notice you._

Sighing, I bit my lip and twisted to look at my reflection from another angle. _Still just as figure-hugging and red_, I thought bitterly. I piled my hair on top of my head and arranged a few strands so they framed my face. Grimacing once more, I turned and yanked on some black heels – I might as well do the 'temptress' thing the whole way, and wearing innocent ballet slippers would ruin the entire thing.

I stalked down the staircase and past my mother and sister, ignoring their shocked expressions.

"Alicia, you look…" Mother began.

"Thanks," I said shortly, not wanting to hear the end of her sentence. I made my way to the front door and almost escaped, but Arianna caught my wrist and whispered, "Is this for-"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you want to-" The concern filling her eyes became evident in her voice and I felt a pang of guilt for making her worry.

"Honestly? No. I'm not. But it's the only way he'll notice me, so…so be it."

"Alright. I know you like him a lot, but don't sacrifice your dignity for him. He shouldn't be driving you to these extremes. Remember that you are special, and never let anyone else make you think otherwise." I could only nod, a lump in my throat rising too quickly. She squeezed my hand and followed me into the carriage.

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><p>It took less than a minute of scanning the crowd to pick out Damon's raven hair, and I hurried towards him as fast as I possibly could, ignoring the murmurs that trailed behind me.<p>

When I reached him, I tapped him on the shoulder and said a little breathlessly, "Hi."

"Oh, hi Allie, you look nice…" His eyes took in my appearance almost greedily, but suddenly his attention was captured by something else as he mumbled, "I better go say hello to Katherine."

"But you live with her – you can say hello anytime!" I said, nonplussed – and irritated. But he was already striding off to the girl looking all very innocent in a pure white dress. The opposite of whorish little me.

"M-m-miss DiGrazio, you look…stunning!" I recognised that dopey voice. It was the doting idiot I'd danced with at the last Salvatore ball. _Run away, run away, get the hell out of here!_

"May I have this dance?" _NO, NO, NO YOU MAY NOT! _But his hand had already grabbed mine, and pulled me in to the waltz position before I could escape.

"I haven't seen you at any dances lately, Miss Alicia, have you been feeling alright?" The poor boy actually sounded concerned. Maybe he wasn't so bad… What was his name?

"I've been fine. Just…busy…" Yeah, busy moping about how Damon spends all his time with Katherine.

"Busy?" the nosy git enquired. _Okay, okay, 'git' is a bit harsh, but I'm not in the best of moods here._

"Yeah… I…um…I've been…embroidering a…a…tapestry." Hopefully this made me sound like a sap and he'd never want to see me again. Unfortunately, he seemed genuinely interested.

"Embroidery? I did not realise you had such a passion for needlework. May I one day see this masterpiece?" he said, his hazel eyes actually _lighting up_.

"Erm…'masterpiece' isn't quite the right word…it's more of a…learning experience…" Next time I lie, I better come up with a more convincing one that won't get me sucked into sewing a damned tapestry.

"Did you not learn the art of embroidery at finishing school?" _Why didn't I see that coming?_

"Um… Oh there's Stefan, I need to go ask him about the…uh…colours…" _Another lie, but he can't argue with that, right? _I yanked my sweating hand out of his clammy one and clattered over to Stefan in my clunky heels.

"But the song hasn't finished yet!" the boy called forlornly, but I ignored him, perhaps insensitively, and carried on across the ballroom.

As I reached Stefan, I noticed he was frowning at his champagne glass – deep in thought, maybe?

"Stefan! Stefan, hi!" I gasped, slightly out of breath from my speedy escape. He merely raised his head slowly to look at me directly. His forest eyes burned with sorrow, but there was a spark of excitement lurking behind the moroseness.

"You look…er…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, let's not get into that. How are you? The big day's what…a month away?"

"Mmm," he replied non-committedly, "Have you seen Katherine?"

"Yes." His eyes lit up. "She's with Damon." His face fell. I couldn't stand how she'd caught my two best friends under her spell. "You don't actually like her, do you? I mean, she's so fake and simpery and sickly sweet and-"

"'Simpery' is not a word. But she's not like that! She's interesting and caring and fun and sweet-"

"Like I said, sickly sweet."

"Stop it! You're just jealous that she's more of an eligible lady than you."

I was dumbfounded. Stefan said that. _Stefan_ of all people. If even anyone said that, it would hurt, but _Stefan_…

"Ouch," I said, carefully lacing my voice with sarcasm to try and disguise the hurt I was feeling. "If I didn't know better – and as I'm not an 'eligible lady', then maybe I don't – I'd say you loved her. A fact I'm sure Carlotta would be interested in, to say the least."

"Maybe I do." No! He wasn't supposed to say that. I need to say something that will unsettle him…

"Oh look, there's Carlotta. I think I'll go and say hi. Oh and she's with your father too, this should be interesting." I turned to see his reaction, but he already had his arms around the little sorceress, twirling her round the dancefloor.

Even more fury was building up inside me and I was sorely tempted to punch the confectionary swan perched on the table at the end of the ballroom. However, it would bring unnecessary attention to me, and I had been given dirty looks all night. Instead, I decided to go outside to get some fresh air.

When I could no longer hear the music and laughter from the party, I flung myself down on the field and pounded the grass with my fists. The blasted lump in my throat had reappeared and despite my best efforts, I couldn't force it away. Finally, I gave in and let the tears fall, my body shaking with sobs.

I hated Katherine so much for stealing Stefan and Damon. Other than Arrie, they were the only reason I could bear this superficial life. I hated Stefan for saying Katherine was more of a lady than I was because one of the things he'd constantly said he loved about me was that I wasn't like that, I wasn't prim and proper. I hated Damon for spending so much time with her and not noticing me. I hated him for making me fall in love with him way too fast, for turning me into a sobbing wreck. But most of all I hated myself for letting them get to me, for taking down my walls and allowing them to hurt me. I hated the fact that I cared too much and I hated the fact I was weak. So weak that the sight of _her _with either of them made me want to throw up. So weak that I cried when I saw my friends happy with _her_. Who was she to make me so jealous? Who were the Salvatore brothers to discard me when someone better came along? But is she better than me? I didn't steal anyone's friends. But other than be overly nice and pretend to care, what has she actually done wrong?

I moaned and hit the ground again, feeling my head was about to explode.

After lying there for so long my body ached, I got up and attempted to brush the mud off my dress, and started to wander back to the mansion, thinking I'd go and sit in the carriage till Mother and Arianna returned. But then I heard some high pitched giggles and a much lower chuckle and my bête noire came into sight. Damon and Katherine were disgustingly close, their hands roaming all over each other. I could feel the bile rising in my throat and I bolted, not wanting them to hear the sounds of me emptying my stomach.

I didn't get as far away as I'd hoped, but they didn't seem to have noticed, if their continuous moans were anything to go by.

Heaving myself up again, I carried on running, despite the fact the world was spinning and I had no idea where I was.

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><p>"Will she be alright?" A familiar voice asked, but it sounded far away.<p>

"Arianna, dear, I'm sure she'll be okay. She's always been a strong girl." That was my father! I blinked slowly and when his bespectacled face loomed over mine, I threw my arms around him and sobbed. I felt like I hadn't seen him in years! He was always away, or locked up in his study working.

"Alicia, honey, it's okay, you're okay, you're safe."

"Daddy," was all I managed to choke out.

"Shh." He lay me back down on the pillow and stroked my hair.

"Wha…what happened?" Everything seemed fuzzy, but at the same time, too bright.

"You collapsed outside Giuseppe's party and hit your head. Do you think you had too much champagne?" he asked soothingly. At the mention of Giuseppe Salvatore, the events of that night came flooding back, and although I knew for a fact I had no champagne, I mumbled, "Yeah, maybe," not wanting to think about Damon's betrayal.

The door burst open, and my mother came in, looking more flustered than usual. "Marco, have you seen this?" she said, thrusting a newspaper at him. Catching sight of me, she exclaimed, "Oh Alicia, you're awake, we were so worried!" I smiled weakly at her, and I was too drained to make a big deal out of what she said, otherwise I would have cried. She cared about me! I guess what they said was true: 'there's an 'end' in friend, but not in family'.

My attention was drawn back to Daddy's grave expression and I was suddenly itching to see the paper.

"What is it?" I enquired, reaching for the article. He folded it and tucked it under his arm so it was completely out of my reach.

"It's Carlotta," he said serenely, "She…she passed."

"She passed? Passed what? To who? Oh…" It suddenly dawned on me. I never liked her particularly, but still...

My parents left the room after kissing me on the forehead but my lovely sister stayed and rubbed circles on my hand.

"Arrie I want to see that article. Can you get it for me?"

She frowned, then said, "Are you sure you want to read it?" I nodded. "Alright, I'll try."

Less than five minutes later, she returned, newspaper in hand. "He didn't make much of an effort to hide it," she smiled weakly and handed 'La Quotidiano Posta' to me.

_Socialite Found Dead In Woods_

_Late last night, beautiful socialite Carlotta Marino (17) was found unconscious in the woods near to her Florence home. After extensive medical treatment, it appeared that Miss Marino would not wake and so the doctors took to examining her wounds more closely. The attack seemed to be that of a wild animal – a wolf or rabid dog – and the police are on a hunt for the murderous monster. In the meantime, all that can be done is pray for the lost girl and her grieving family – not to mention, fiancé Stefan Salvatore – and be very cautious not to venture outside in the dark._

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><p><strong>AN - I'm not going to make any promises about the next update because if anything, I've proved my unreliability :( But I will try to write it in the next few days as I am on holiday.**

**But I do have one teeny favour to ask of you: **

**I have a Harry Potter trilogy planned out in way more detail than I usually plan things, but the problem is, I can't for the life of me think of a title for the first part. It is set in the 1940s, so in Tom Riddle's era.**

**The summary:**

**When world renowned musician Selena Lovett loses her parents, she enrols at Hogwarts, only to find life's not as easy as she thought it would be. Crazy fans, gorgeous boys and obnoxious prefects - it's a whirlwind!**

**If you can think of a title (ideally a phrase or song/movie title about a moon) or better summary or want to know more about it (without me telling you the whole plot) please PM me and I will be more than happy to chat to you about it!**

**I have a different name for Selena in case people thought I was copying Selena Gomez or Anya Violetta's character Selene (from the awesome Witchcraft By A Picture - if you haven't already, READ IT!) The other name is Catherine Vegas. So I would also be very grateful if you could tell me which name you like best, either through PM or through the poll on my profile or in a review.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this,**

**Love Beth xxx 8D**


	12. Chapter 12: Once Bitten and Twice Shy

**A/N – Okay, so I will never make an update promise ever again. But I can promise that one day I will finish this – it's too close to my heart to let go! There's me getting all sentimental… ;)**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited – I get silly smiles every time I find the notifications!**

**I'd also like to thank WestAnimeBrigade for basically giving me the idea for this chapter *cyberhug***

**On with the story!**

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><p>"…And she is a soul that will be remembered and in the hearts of many for evermore. And now we pray." I bowed my head and clasped my hands, but my mind began to wander – as per usual. Not that I had much I particularly wanted to think about. I hadn't spoken to Stefan or Damon since the ball, and to be perfectly honest, I didn't want to. I didn't want to be reminded of how close we once were, and how replaceable they made me feel.<p>

I sort of felt sorry for Carlotta; she might have been a bitch, but I don't think she really wanted to marry Stefan either, and if I had been in her position, I would probably have been grouchy and stuck up too.

But something about her death didn't quite add up – at least, not in my head. She just _happened_ to be attacked by an animal at a party when her fiancé had been dancing with someone who managed to wrap virtually the entire town around her little finger. But maybe I'm reading too deeply into things, and I just want Katherine to be at the root of all that's wrong so I have an excuse to hate her.

We were now leaving the cathedral and slowly making our way to the graveyard, where the final goodbyes would be said and the final bouquets placed. I trudged after my mother without really thinking about where I was walking, so it's not really surprising that my spacial awareness failed me again. I crashed into a large figure, and lifted my head wearily to apologise.

I was met with a tall, lean body, chestnut hair and aggressively raised eyebrows. _I do not need another eyebrow-raising man in my life, thank you. _Yet I was saved by a soft, accented voice saying, "Kol, apologise to this young lady." The new voice belonged to a man just as tall as Mr Eyebrows, and with extremely similar features, except his brown eyes were kinder. He glared at this 'Kol' until he grudgingly simpered, "I deeply regret my inexcusable clumsiness, and sincerely hope you can find it within your heart to forgive me."

The other man glared at him, then turned to me and said, "I think that is the best you are going to get, miss?"

"DiGrazio. Alicia. Alicia DiGrazio. Uh…thanks for – thank you for saving my dignity just then," I stuttered, still reeling from Mr Eyebrows' unfriendliness.

"It is a pleasure, Miss DiGrazio. My name is Elijah Mikaelson, and I am afraid the man who caused your little upset was my younger brother, Kol. Please forgive him; politeness is not…in his nature," Elijah said smoothly. I was still trying to place his accent, but to no avail. I suppose being trapped in between a relatively small town and finishing school doesn't exactly broaden your horizons.

"Where are you from?" I blurted before I could help myself.

He chuckled. "England. I suppose you haven't met an Englishman before, have you?"

"Um, no. Your Italian is faultless, though."

"As I would hope. I have spent an excessive length of time immersing myself in languages." He was quickly becoming the most unusual person I'd ever met – and it was a refreshing change. _Damon is unusual,_ whispered the voice in my head that likes to cause me mental torment. _Damon is out of both my mind and my life now, accept it_, I chided myself.

"So you, uh, knew Carlotta, then?" What kind of stupid question is that?

"Not well, no. She was a dear friend of Kol's, though."

"I can see why," I muttered darkly.

"You can, can't you?" Elijah laughed softly. He offered his arm and I took it, gladly. We wandered towards a small gathering of people, all of whom I'd never seen before.

"May I introduce Miss Alicia DiGrazio," he announced, and they all turned to look at me, curiosity evident in their eyes. "Alicia, this is my brother, Finn." The dark haired man nodded his head gravely. "My sister Rebekah." A piercing gaze from the pretty blonde. "And my youngest brother, Niklaus." Niklaus took my free hand and kissed it gently, murmuring, "Pleasure."

I think my cheeks flushed a little, but then he was quite good looking and acted like a gentleman, so what do you expect?

"Was Carlotta a friend of yours, Miss DiGrazio?" the dark haired man, Finn, asked.

"Er… sort of. I was friends with her fiancé though, so that's how I know her. And just call me Alicia. I'm not really an airs and graces kind of girl."

"Why the past tense?" Niklaus asked thoughtfully. Wow, he was observant - I hadn't even noticed I'd referred to Stefan and I in the past tense.

"Um…it's…complicated…" I trailed off, cursing his perception, and hoping he'd drop the subject.

"You were in love with him and therefore jealous of his fiancée." Although Finn didn't pose it as a question, I felt the need to correct him.

"NO! Why does everyone think that? We were just best friends for years and…recently drifted apart, I suppose."

"Perhaps because it is unusual for women to have male friends. And I'm sorry you drifted, but these things happen. You grow and experience new things, changing – although you don't always realise it – and find yourself unable to connect to the person who once knew you best," Elijah commented. Wow, he was deep. It made sense though. Both Stefan and Damon experienced new things – in the form of Katherine – and I didn't understand why, which left us almost strangers to each other.

And he called me a woman! I always thought my immaturity would class me as a girl forever.

Well, I definitely wasn't a maiden… Merda – Damon thoughts.

I tried to blink them out of my head, which earned me strange glances from all the people before me. _Oh stop acting like you know what I'm thinking. _

Niklaus smirked. _Oh merda, what if they actually can? Don't be ridiculous – no one can read minds. Then why is he smirking when I didn't say anything? Maybe I said it out loud. Maybe I'm saying all of this out loud. Double merda. Um…if you can hear me, hello… God, I'm insane. They're probably just wondering why you're staring at them saying nothing!_

"Er...sorry about that, I just…spaced out. You gave me a lot to think about," I said, laughing nervously at Elijah.

"Don't worry about that, Elijah's _full_ of wisdom," Niklaus said, grinning. Elijah threw him a look, somewhere between amusement and resentment.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Rebekah asked emphatically, her lapis lazuli eyes flashing with irritation.

"I..er…yeah. I'll just…" As soon as I think I've made some friends, their sister has to be a bitch. Typical.

"You are more than welcome to stay with us, Miss Alicia," Niklaus said smoothly.

"_Nik!_" Rebekah hissed, furious. I glanced between them, unsure of what to do or say.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, my mother came storming towards me, yelling, "ALICIA LORETTA DIGRAZIO HOW DARE YOU RUN OFF WHEN WE HAVE AN IMAGE TO MAINTAIN!"

"Great image you're creating there, Mother," I muttered. She glared icily at me. "What have you done with that bouquet I handed you?"

"Um…" I hastily glanced around me. "I must have left it inside…"

"Of_ course_ you did," she said, her tone verging on patronising. Grabbing my wrist, she dragged me away, and I called, "Nice to meet you all," behind me, offering a weak smile.

Rebekah stared pointedly in the opposite direction, Finn nodded, ever serious, whilst Elijah smiled slightly, and Nik full on grinned at me. The Mikaelsons, however bizarre, provided a welcome distraction, and I hoped they stayed in town for longer as I could do with keeping myself preoccupied.

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><p>The light of the moon trickled in through the window as I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Sighing heavily, I climbed out and padded to the desk in the corner of my chamber. I felt around quietly, and grasped the candle holder I kept for emergencies. I stuck a candle on to it and tiptoed out of my room, keeping my eyes on the floor so as not to trip over. Once I reached the oil lantern, I lit my candle and made my way downstairs to the kitchens.<p>

I searched around for a snack that I knew wouldn't be missed, but when I found the ginger snow cream, I snatched it up, not caring if its disappearance would be glaringly obvious. Feeling proud of myself – and pretty hungry – I carefully sneaked back to my bedchamber, pausing only when I though I heard a light _thump._ Just in case someone else heard and came to investigate, I blew out the candle and felt the way to my room.

I set the candle back down on my desk and was about to flop on my bed and shovel the snow cream in my mouth, when I saw there was already a figure stretched out on it. Terrified, I dropped the bowl and was about to scream, but a hand was clamped over my mouth instantly. My eyes widened, partly out of fear, but also so I could get a glimpse of my captor. However, the shadows cast by the moonlight meant I couldn't make out their face.

"Shh," a voice whispered in my ear huskily, "You don't want to scream, love, it's not like anyone will come and save you." My body was trembling uncontrollably; I was sure I knew the man, but I couldn't place his voice. "I'm going to take my hand off your mouth if you promise not to scream. And remember: I can snap your neck in an instant, so I wouldn't bother trying. Do you promise not to make a noise?" I shakily nodded my head. Just as promised, he removed his hand and murmured, "Good girl." I inched away from him, fumbling for the door knob, and all of a sudden he was behind me, trapping my hands in his. "I don't think you really want to do that, do you?"

Turning my head to face him, I gave him my most piercing glare, trying not to appear petrified. Judging by the smirk he gave in return, he wasn't convinced. In fact, the smirk was what finally clicked in my head.

"_You!_" I choked out.

"Yes, my lovely, _me_." A wolfish grin was spreading across his face.

"H-how did you get i-in?" The fact I managed to string a sentence together was quite incredible, although I really should have been trying to think up a way out of the situation instead.

"I don't think that's the most pressing matter, but since you asked… You invited me in," Niklaus said simply.

"I-I-I…what? N-no I d-didn't." How would I? Why would I? I _didn't_!

"Just because you might not remember it, doesn't mean you didn't," he whispered, tilting his head a little and quirking an eyebrow. He started leading me towards the bed, and in my semi-paralysed state, there wasn't much I could do about it.

"Now come and sit down, devour this…,"he hesitated, eying the bowl of snow cream that magically appeared on the end of my bed, "this froth you seemed so intent on eating." Niklaus dropped onto the bed and patted the spot next to him. I stared blankly at him; suddenly aware of how white and thin my nightgown was in the moonlight seeping through the open window. _Open?_

As if sensing my worries, Niklaus chuckled, "I'm not going to steal away your non-existent innocence." He dipped a finger into the snow cream bowl, wiped it lazily on my nose and waited for my reaction – blank as a clear slate. Rolling his mocking eyes, he licked his finger clean and grimaced the moment the 'froth' hit his tongue.

"Th-then what are you…?" I stuttered hopelessly.

"Just sit down," he said, eyes boring into me. I helplessly shuffled towards him and found myself stretched out in the space beside him.

"Now close your eyes…" he murmured, barely audibly. I did so instantly, and felt a sharp pain in the side of my neck.

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the pain subsided, and was replaced by a warm, pleasant sensation tingling through my body. I had never felt anything like it in my life, and I couldn't help a few moans escape my lips. This seemed to please him as the feeling intensified, leaving me lightheaded and in pure bliss.

All too suddenly, his lips left my neck and the harsh awakening of reality transformed my cloud nine wooziness into nausea.

My eyelids flickered open and I inhaled deeply – trying to prevent myself from throwing up, and to focus on the blurry shapes moving around me. I caught low, threatening hisses and _growls? _as two figures whirled around my chamber, and _my God, I must be hallucinating,_ one of the two went flying out the window. I sat bolt upright, frightened for what felt like the hundredth time tonight, but the remaining shape glided over to me and gently placed a finger on my lips.

"Shh, Miss Alicia, you are safe now." His other hand traced my neck, and I flinched uncontrollably when he touched a spot that burned like hell. I think he frowned, but in the darkness, I couldn't really tell. The finger on my trembling lip moved to my chin, which he tilted upwards slightly, and dark eyes burned into mine as he said, "I think it would not be amiss to wear scarves for several days, Miss." I found myself nodding. "Also, you will remember nothing of the events that transpired tonight, do you understand?" My head nodded up and down once more.

There was a sudden gust of wind coming from the window, and then it all went black.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Thank you for reading, and any guesses to who the man was who saved Allie from Klaus?**

**Also, regarding my description of Alicia being bitten, I know that it is always shown to be painful, but I imagined Klaus would make it pleasurable since her crying/screaming would cause him more trouble than he could be bothered to sort out. And, I think he is quite interested in her and wouldn't want to cause her pain, but whether or not he would have drained her is a different question altogether…**

**And on that note, I bid you farewell!**

**Please drop me a review as I love to hear your opinion!**

**Love Beth xxx**


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